Dweller In Darkness
by Beregond5
Summary: G1. When Seaspray discovers something odd drifting in the sea, the Autobots decide that they should investigate matters. Little do they know that the Decepticons are interested in the same thing.
1. The Arrival

_A/n: This story is most probably familiar to some readers. It __holds a special place in my heart, because I had come up it with a long time ago, when I was first introduced to the world of Transformers. I never actually wrote it back then. Nevertheless, the idea lingered in the back of my mind, until it was triggered again when my love for the fandom rejuvenated with the 2007 movie. So, after smoothing out some details and putting some more thought into the plot, here's the final result. I like to believe the outcome will be interesting to others as well._

--------------------

Summer neared its end, but the nights were still pleasantly warm and bright. There was a full moon rising on the horizon, and the inhabitants of the Greek island of Santorini were particularly lively. The cafeterias and _tavernas_ were filled with tourists who enjoyed the luxuries that the locals provided, whether it was food or wine – or even dancing. They didn't mind the volcano crater that towered over them in all its blackened glory, for the volcano had been dormant for the last 30 years. Now it only served as a symbol of what the island used to be once, according to legend; a part of a powerful civilization, now long gone.

There were very few people who noticed the green-coloured flash of light that flew across the sky; mostly fishermen who had gone out on their boats to catch fish and sell them to the market the next morning. However, they simply shrugged it off as a shooting star. Shooting stars were a common sight on August nights, after all.

Then again, little did they realize that shooting stars were rarely green, if ever. If they did, they would probably have still kept their eyes on it and notice that the particular shooting star even _manoeuvred_ towards the Atlantic Ocean.

-----------------

"Are you sure about this?" asked a young teenager, dressed in a pair of jeans, brown shoes and a white shirt. He was speaking Greek and in quite the nervous manner.

"Of course I am. Chill out, Andreas," another teenager answered, also in Greek. Though he was dressed in pretty much the same way, he looked older than his companion.

"If dad finds out that we came out here, we'll be in trouble."

"We won't be, unless you stop nagging."

The younger of the two teenagers huffed and rolled his eyes. "He'll see the boat is gone, Spyros."

"We'll be back by then. We're not that far."

"But what if we're seen?" Andreas insisted. "Uncle Nicholas usually fishes in these parts, you know!"

"Not tonight, he's helping Aunt Loukia at the _taverna_. Now move."

Andreas moved on, minding his steps on the sharp, black rocks. "I can't believe you talked me into this. Especially to impress some girl!"

"Hey, if you want to go back, be my guest and _swim_ back! I'm going to get the metal piece."

"Fine, just… wait for me, will you?"

But Spyros continued on, not really looking back at his brother; he was currently on the lookout for something else.

"Now let's see," he murmured to himself. "It should be on the north side." Moving with the agility of an expert in such precarious terrain, the teenager headed toward that direction, until he eventually found what he had been searching for: a cavern that was half-emerged in sea-water.

"Is that the place then?" Andreas said then, finally catching up and looking down at the cavern as well.

"Yeah," Spyros answered. He quickly unbuttoned his shirt and took off his shoes. "Hand me the flashlight."

Andreas complied, albeit half-heartedly. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Fine." And with that, Spyros dived into the water. Moments later, he had re-surfaced and gotten swallowed by the blackness of the cave.

-----------------

Spyros figured that it was an easy enough venture. He would find the Odd Wreck, take a piece out of it and he would be back to show his trophy to Helena. It was always a kind of challenge among the lads of the island, for the Odd Wreck didn't earn its name for nothing. His uncle had discovered it about ten years ago and, in his own words, it was as though it came out of nowhere. It wasn't the wreckage of a ship, even though it certainly looked like it. It wasn't the wreckage of any other kind of machinery the fishermen of Santorini were familiar with either for that matter. If anything, it looked more like something that industrially powerful countries like America would have built.

That was also one of the reasons that the fishermen had come to a silent agreement to leave the wreck where it was, thinking it was best not to mess with unfamiliar things. It would probably mean trouble if they did.

So, the Odd Wreck remained there, slowly decaying in its watery prison and only mentioned in passing by the fishermen whenever the topic came up. The children, on the other hand, used their wild imagination and made up all kinds of stories about what the Odd Wreck could be: others said it was a powerful secret military weapon, while others claimed that it was a spaceship from Mars.

Still, these things didn't matter to Spyros anymore. He had come to the Odd Wreck for one thing only.

It didn't take him long to find the Wreck. It was just a couple of meters below the surface and wedged on a rocky crevice. At least, what was left of it, for now it had become nothing more than a convenient house for all kinds of life-forms, from large fish to the smallest of crustaceans.

Just then, something shiny caught Spyros's eye. It was one of the few parts that, for whatever reason, hadn't rusted or even caught mould. It was a sort of golden-coloured insignia, etched on one of the metal plates.

Spyros didn't waste any time. Taking out a pocket knife from his jeans, he got ready to get the insignia out.

It was at that moment that he felt something moving behind him.

Something big.

Mustering all his courage, he turned around… and found himself looking petrified at a pair of glowing yellow eyes.

--------------------

"Spyros? Spyros, come on!"

Andreas now grew more than just a little nervous. His brother had been gone for far too long, something that the young boy couldn't understand.

"I hope this isn't one of your stupid tricks again!" he cried.

There was no answer.

"Spyro--!"

A terrible roaring sound that seemed to reverberate through Andreas' whole body cut the rest of Andreas's sentence off. To say the young teenager got frightened almost out of his wits would have been an understatement. His very blood felt like it froze in his veins.

"Spyros?" he stammered.

It was then that the thought occurred to him. What if his brother was in danger?

"Spyros!" Without any more hesitation and snatching a rock, he hurried towards the sound of the roar. He didn't know what he was dealing with, but if Spyros was in danger, he would have to help his brother; of this he was sure.

And yet he didn't find anything.

"Where are you?!" Andreas cried in despair.

Finally, he saw it: a pale body was sprawled on the rocks, somehow still clinging to them in spite of the waves mercilessly crashing on them. But it was the sight of blood that snapped the younger boy into action. Without thinking twice and calling out to his brother, he dived into the water and grabbed Spyros to carry him safely to their boat.

---------------------

He still kept his hands on the smooth board in front of him, eyes locked on the small monitor in search of anything out of the ordinary. Once he decided that his landing was complete, he stood up. The lights of the control board immediately dimmed and the monitor switched on standby mode, but he didn't care about that for now. He walked to the direction of the metal flaps and placed a hand on a seemingly useless panel on the wall. The panel lit up, and the metal doors opened with a loud clank.

He was a bit taken aback to see the moonlight reflected in the waters; he hadn't seen any natural light in a long time and the sensation was strange, albeit welcome, in his eyes. He didn't know for how long he remained like this, almost basking; but he remembered himself and walked out, looking cautiously at his surroundings. The island he had picked out of the several ones in the so-called Atlantic Ocean was small and there were no inhabitants, of course. Even so, he was aware that the beings of this planet had several ways of detection, like radars and sonars – even satellites. Yes, his shuttle was equipped with a cloaking device, but _he_ still had to go out in the open; so he had to be quick about things.

He picked three fist-sized orbs from a small utility compartment and walked outside. As he held them in his hands, the devices lit up and sprang into the water, breaking the liquid surface with a soft plopping sound. He still managed to catch a glimpse of the light they emanated but, soon enough, the orbs were gone out of sight.

With that done, he returned back to his ship and settled back on the commanding seat. When his hands touched the control board, the monitor was turned on again, thus showing him a global view of Earth.

He was pleased to see that the tracking orbs were working perfectly. He could see them leaving the island he was currently on and separate to take three different directions: one went south; the second one north; and the third one towards the continent of America, specifically the Panama Canal.

He smiled, for he realised now that all he had to do was wait. Even though he didn't dare keep his hopes up, he still had a good feeling that this time he would find what he had been looking for. And then he would finally finish what had started centuries ago.

_TBC…_


	2. A Strange Finding

Optimus Prime took one last stroll around the Ark to make sure everything was in perfect order. It was quiet at this time of night, but that was to be expected. Most of the Autobots had retired to their dorms to catch a few hours of sleep before resuming with their duties the next day. Or so Prime had thought until he noticed that the TV in the common room was on.

Feeling curious, he stepped on the threshold, and he was surprised to see that almost all of his subordinates were there too, watching some sort of movie. The youngest mechs seemed certainly impressed. The older ones were only mildly interested though – it didn't look like the particular movie was their cup of tea.

And a certain Autobot group was staring downright incredulously at the screen.

"This is quite preposterous," Perceptor declared.

"You said it," Wheeljack said.

"Come on, guys, it's just a movie," Bumblebee said.

"One that defies all logic, for that matter," Ratchet argued.

"In what way?" Sideswipe asked in a curious manner.

"Well, man… The idea that humans can turn into large wolves is out of the question," Beachcomber answered.

"True," Hound said. "But it's pretty interesting to see what human imagination can come up with."

"Or human ignorance," Prowl completed with a shake of his head.

"What do you mean?" Bluestreak asked in turn.

"My dear Bluestreak, a transformation of that kind involves a lot of internal and external rearrangements which, to a human's case, are quite unattainable due to the very nature of their bone and muscular structure," Perceptor said.

Bluestreak stared at Perceptor blankly.

"In other words: humans aren't Transformers," Ratchet provided.

"Oh."

That, Optimus decided, was his cue to make his presence known, though the conversation amused him. He had to point out something important, after all.

"You do realise that the movie finished while you were arguing?"

The other Autobots first looked at Prime, then at the rolling credits.

"Not again," Cliffjumper said with a huff.

"That's it, guys," Bumblebee said, glaring at the scientist Autobots. "I'm not watching another movie with you."

Wheeljack looked as though he was about to say something, but he never got the chance. Suddenly, Optimus Prime's incoming transmission signal went off with a light piercing sound.

"Ironhide to Optimus Prime. Come in, Prime."

Optimus tensed. He knew that, if Ironhide thought it was important to call at this time of night, there was some kind of disconcerting news. Signalling the other Autobots to stay silent for a while, Optimus activated his transmitter.

"What is it, Ironhide?"

"You'd better come to the control room, Chief. Seaspray's got something odd to report."

Optimus didn't need to be told twice, of course. "I'm on my way."

With that, he hurried towards the control room, with the other Autobots following close behind. Ironhide, Gears and Red Alert were sitting in front of Teletraan I, but immediately stood up in salute when Optimus walked in. Optimus just waved his head dismissively, thus showing that that was no time for typicality.

"Put Seaspray on screen," was all that he said.

Ironhide complied at once and pressed a button. The monitor sprang to life, and Seaspray appeared on it. Blue surrounded him, making it clear that he was below the sea surface.

"Prime, do you read me?" Seaspray asked, his gurgling voice emphasised as he was submerged.

"Loud and clear," Optimus said. "Where are you?"

"50 miles south of the Greenland coast. And I've just come across something really strange."

"What is it?"

"I heard it first. It was making some sort of sound which helped me pinpoint its location, and then I found it. Or rather, it found me." Seaspray held up what looked like a yellow fist-sized orb. "It was lit and travelling at great speed when it bumped into me. Then it just went dark."

"Do you have any idea what kind of signal it was?" Prime asked.

"No," Seaspray admitted. "But I have recorded a part of it."

"Good thinking," Optimus said. "Send it to Teletraan I so we can hear it."

"You got it, Prime."

Optimus waited with bated breath to hear the strange signal, somehow aware that the other Autobots were waiting with just the same eagerness. Seconds later, the monotone metal _ping_ sound filled the control room, repeating itself at steady intervals. When the recording finally ended, the Autobots could only be puzzled at what they heard.

"That doesn't sound like any mechanical sound I heard before," Wheeljack said thoughtfully.

"It's a new Decepticon trick, I bet my axles on it," Huffer mumbled.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Cliffjumper said. "They were very quiet lately; they just _had _to be hatching some new plan."

"I'm not so sure about that," Jazz said thoughtfully. "It doesn't sound like any Decepticon mechanism either. Trust me; I sabotaged a lot of them to know the difference."

"Then that leaves us with one other option," Optimus said. "Teletraan I, analyse the sound and try to find a match."

"Processing. Please standby," Teletraan I replied, complying with the order. A few moments later, Teletraan I came up with an answer. "Two positive matches located."

"Show them," Optimus ordered.

To the Autobots' surprise, the monitor changed to a global view of the Earth, and they could see two blinking spots moving on screen in the same way Seaspray described.

"I don't believe this," Ratchet exclaimed. "There are two more of those things?!"

"What are they anyway?" Sunstreaker asked.

"That's what we're about to find out," Optimus said. "Seaspray, return to the Ark with the orb at once, so Wheeljack can have a look at it."

"All right. Seaspray out," the naval tactician said, and he ended his transmission.

"But what about the sound?" Perceptor said then. "It could be some sort of code."

"Yes," Optimus said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That's why I'll have to ask the opinion of our other expert." He pressed a couple of buttons. "Teletraan I, put Cosmos and Blaster on screen for me."

Teletraan complied once again, and Blaster and Cosmos appeared on the monitor.

"Yo, what's up everyone?" Blaster asked. "A bit late for you folks, isn't it?"

"Let's just say that we came up with a puzzle which falls into your field," Optimus replied. "Seaspray picked up an unknown underwater signal and I want you to check it out."

Blaster grinned. "I'm your man, Prime. Send the baby over."

"Cosmos, you will receive the file in your databanks in a few astroseconds," Optimus said, turning this time to the flying saucer. "When you and Blaster come up with an answer, report it at once."

"Will do," Cosmos said. And, as soon as Cosmos got the file, the transmission ended.

Optimus sighed and turned to his subordinates. He could certainly have done without that little crisis in their hands, but there was nothing for it. Now he could only hope that, whatever it was they found, it wouldn't prove a threat to them or Earth.

Still, he had to be prepared for anything.

"Wheeljack, Perceptor, get the lab ready. You'll examine the orb as soon as Seaspray arrives."

"Gotcha," Wheeljack replied.

"Prowl, calculate the trajectory of the other two orbs. Those things set off from somewhere, and I want to know from where."

"Understood," Prowl said.

"Ironhide, Gears, Red Alert, stay here and watch the monitor. If anything changes, I want to know about it at once."

"Of course," Red Alert said.

"Good," Prime said, and returned his gaze to the screen. "Now all we can do is wait."

-----------------------------

He sighed and sat back on his chair, his hands never leaving the control board. He wasn't tired, but it had been ten hours since he had sent the tracking orbs in the water, and they still hadn't managed to pick up anything.

That proved discouraging, to say the least. For 400 years, he had done nothing but search constantly in any planet that would provide clues to him, no matter how vague or controversial said clues were. But now, according to the evidence he had managed to come up with so, he reached to the end of his journey. If he didn't find anything this time either, he would have to continue his search on instinct and stubbornness alone.

Abandoning his quest _wasn't _an option.

It was then that one of the three signals went quiet. He sat up and looked intently at the screen to see where exactly the orb had disappeared. His left hand moved slightly, and the view was instantly zoomed in, whereas his right index finger twitched so that information on the area sprang up on the monitor.

_Greenland_. And, according to the last data…

He shook his head. He didn't know what the orb encountered and stopped functioning, but it wasn't what he had been looking for, that was for certain.

It was of no matter. The other two were still operational, and that was enough for him.

If there _was _anything in the depths of the sea, he would locate it soon.

_TBC…_


	3. Worrisome Answers

When Spike woke up that morning, the first thing that he noticed was that Bumblebee wasn't waiting outside his house like he usually did. That was something that didn't escape Sparkplug's attention either, so father and son figured that the Autobots must be preoccupied with something. Deciding that they should find out what it was, they hopped on the family car in order to drive to the Ark.

Sparkplug half-jokingly declared that he hoped he could still remember how to actually drive after all this time being driven around by giant car-morphing robots. Nevertheless, he managed just fine. And so, half an hour later, the two humans arrived at the Autobot base.

The first Autobot they met was Windcharger. And to say that the minibot was agitated would have been an understatement. He kept pacing up and down the corridor, muttering to himself.

"Windcharger?" Sparkplug ventured.

Windcharger looked at the two humans in surprise. "Oh, hi. Sorry, I didn't notice you there."

"No kidding. Any more distracted and you'd be walking all over us," Spike said with a shake of his head. "Where's everybody?"

"Prime and Prowl are in the control room. The others are waiting outside Wheeljack's lab."

"Why, is there something wrong?" Sparkplug asked.

"Come, I'll tell you on the way," Windcharger offered. As all three walked down the corridor, Windcharger explained to them what had happened so far, including Seaspray's discovery and the signals that the orbs emanated.

"So you guys are sure it's not a Decepticon trick?" Sparkplug asked when Windcharger ended his story.

"It doesn't look like it anyway. Wheeljack and Perceptor are trying to examine the thing, but they haven't come out of the lab yet; that orb really has both of them baffled."

"Still, it must be interesting to see," Spike said. "Do you think they'll let me have a look at it when they finish?"

"I don't see why not," Windcharger said with a shrug. "You'll have to ask them though."

"Look out! It's getting away!"

The humans and Windcharger stopped on their tracks, for it was Brawn who shouted that. Before they could fully grasp what was going on, they saw a golden orb rolling rapidly in their direction. Brawn was running after it, and five other Autobots followed him close behind.

"I got it!" Ironhide suddenly cried out, lunging forward to catch the orb.

As though sensing the trap, the orb made an abrupt turn to the right, and so Ironhide landed unceremoniously on Windcharger instead.

"Ow…" Windcharger said, his voice sounding muffled from underneath his fellow Autobot's bulk.

"Sorry, Windcharger," Ironhide said sheepishly.

"Never mind that!" Perceptor said, running frantically. "Will somebody apprehend the escapee sphere already?!"

"I don't see _you_ doing anything!" Brawn snapped.

"Hang on, my force-field should take care of it!" Trailbreaker declared and he activated a force-field standing at the orb's path.

"Trailbreaker, no!"

Wheeljack's warning came too late. As soon as the orb touched the force-field, it shot up in the air and started flying hither and thither in such an amok state that all everyone could see was a yellow blur.

"Great! How are we supposed to catch it, when we can't even see where it's going?!" Spike asked.

"Well, I can tell you where it's going _now_!" Sideswipe said in horror. He pointed at the orb as it headed toward a door at the end of the corridor.

A very _familiar _door, to be exact.

"Oh no… Not the Dinobots' residence!" Perceptor exclaimed.

To the Autobots misfortune though, the door opened and the orb flew inside. At the next moment, there was a _clank_, accompanied by a terrible roar.

"Oh dear…"

The orb flew out again at an even greater speed, only to hit the wall across with a loud crashing sound.

"AND ME GRIMLOCK SAY: STAY OUT!"

And there was silence once again in the Ark. The Autobots and the two humans walked up to the shattered orb, looking with morbid fascination at the scattered metal parts.

"Well, that settled things," Sparkplug said wryly. "Do you want me to help you clean up, Wheeljack?"

"Thanks," the Lancia said, sighing as he looked at the mess. "I appreciate it."

"Here, I'll help too," Trailbreaker said, already kneeling to pick up several pieces.

--------------------------

"So you're saying that all three orbs started from this location?" Optimus asked Prowl. He was looking at the small island that was barely visible as it was surrounded by the rich blue of the Atlantic Ocean.

"That's what all my calculations have pointed out," Prowl answered.

"And yet Sky Spy didn't detect anything so far," Optimus said thoughtfully.

"That doesn't mean that there isn't anything there," Prowl reasoned. "Perhaps Sky Spy can't scan it, for all kinds of reasons."

Optimus nodded, for he realised that what his second-in-command said made sense. He turned to face Prowl.

"Who is closer to that area?"

"Tracks and Powerglide," Prowl answered. "They're in London."

"Contact them and tell them I have a scouting mission for them," Optimus said. "If there's anything on that island, they might be able to find it."

"Understood."

"Meanwhile, I want you to calculate where the remaining two orbs are heading. Perhaps we might be able to determine what it is they're after."

"It will be done," Prowl replied.

Suddenly, Teletraan I spoke.

"Optimus Prime, incoming transmission from the Autobots Blaster and Cosmos."

Optimus and Prowl tensed at once, for they knew what that meant.

"On screen," Optimus commanded.

----------------------

"Hold these, will you, Spike?" Sparkplug asked, handing his son some of the metal parts that once comprised the orb.

Spike complied, though it was clear that there was something bothering him.

"You know… I don't get it," he said. "I thought you guys said the orb wasn't functioning."

"Well, it wasn't," Perceptor said. "Until Wheeljack put a laser scalpel on it to open it up."

"Yeah," Wheeljack said ruefully. "That was when it went berserk."

"Just like when it hit Trailbreaker's force-field," Spike noted. "That can't be a coincidence, can it?"

"Indeed not," Perceptor answered. "It would seem the orb's functions were triggered when it was close to a powerful form of energy. The laser scalpel and the force-field were just two such forms of energy. And that's not all."

Wheeljack stood up and locked his optics on Perceptor's. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I believe so."

"Stop talking in riddles and just say it," Brawn said with a huff.

"Well…" Perceptor said, "There is strong evidence to suggest that the sphere was a sort of scanning device."

"What? How can you be sure?" Sideswipe asked in surprise.

"Because of the way it moved," Wheeljack answered. "According to Seaspray, it was the orb that found him. As soon as it got triggered, it headed outside and started moving about."

"As though it was trying to know its whereabouts," Sparkplug said, catching on.

"So… you're telling me it was scanning us?" Ironhide asked, crossing his arms in a sceptical manner.

"It certainly seems to be the case," Perceptor said. "And when Trailbreaker overcharged it with his force-field, its scanning malfunctioned."

"Making it head to the Dinobots' room," Trailbreaker mused. "That actually makes sense."

"What about the screech it let out?" Brawn asked.

"What screech?" Spike asked.

The Autobots stared at Spike incredulously.

"You're kidding, right?" Sideswipe said. "That thing was making such a loud noise that it nearly wrecked my audio receptors."

"We had to keep shouting so we could be heard," Brawn seconded.

"Sorry guys, but Spike is right. I couldn't hear a thing either," Sparkplug said.

"Intriguing," Perceptor mused. "Perhaps it was in a frequency that can be picked up by Cybertronians, but not humans. But… what kind of frequency could that be?"

"One that was distorted from malfunction, that's for sure," Wheeljack said. "That sound was nothing like the one Seaspray recorded."

If Perceptor meant to say anything else, he never got the chance. It was then that Prowl's voice was heard ringing in the corridor.

"Attention. All Autobots please proceed to the control room."

Perceptor, Wheeljack and the others exchanged glances.

"That sounds serious," Sideswipe commented.

"Indeed," Perceptor said. "It could be Blaster with his report."

"Which means we shouldn't just stand here," Ironhide replied, already walking towards the control room. "Let's go."

The others didn't need to be told twice, of course. And so, five minutes later, everyone within the Ark had gathered at the control room. Optimus Prime and Prowl were already there, naturally, whereas Blaster and Cosmos could be clearly seen on the monitor.

It was Bluestreak who asked the question that was in every Autobots' mind at that moment. "So there's finally news?"

"Yes," Prime said. "And I believe you should hear what Blaster has to say." He turned around and addressed Blaster. "Okay, Blaster. Report."

"Right, thanks Prime," Blaster said. "I'll start with the good news and then I'll go to the bad news, if that's fine by you."

"Go ahead."

Blaster nodded his acknowledgement. "Well, folks… it's not a code. It's an echolocation transmission."

"A sonar?!" Sparkplug exclaimed.

"That coincides with our theory that the sphere _was_ a scanning device," Perceptor noted.

"Yeah," Wheeljack seconded. "As it swam, it scanned the depths by using sounds."

"But why did it swim up to me?" Seaspray asked, not really understanding.

"My guess is you seemed like a curiosity to it," Wheeljack explained. "It got attracted to you like a bee to pollen."

"It seems the best explanation for now," Perceptor said.

"Indeed," Prime said thoughtfully.

"And that means the other two orbs are doin' the same sniffin' out their companion did," Jazz remarked.

"However, this leads us to the next question," Prowl said then.

"Which is?" Ironhide asked.

"Why?" the tactician answered.

"And here comes the bad news, folks," Blaster said at that point. "The frequency of the signal isn't Cybertronian or Earthen. It's something else entirely."

Stunned silence reigned in the room for many long moments. The first one who finally spoke was Spike, and he was looking at Blaster incredulously.

"Something else entirely as in… alien?"

"You got that right," Blaster answered.

"Are you sure about this, Blaster?" Prowl asked.

"A hundred percent."

"Swell," Sunstreaker declared indignantly. "As if there aren't enough races on this planet already."

"It's not _that_ that concerns me, Sunstreaker," Optimus Prime said then.

"Then what is?" the yellow Lamborghini asked.

"Sunstreaker," Ratchet said, "if there are aliens out there that sent detectors around the globe, it means there's something already here and they're looking for it."

"Quite right," Perceptor said.

"But… who? And what _is_ that something?" Mirage wondered.

"That's what we have to find out," Prime declared, turning to Prowl. "You have your orders, Prowl. See to them at once."

Prowl nodded and walked out, while Optimus didn't lose any time. He pressed a button on Teletraan I's control board.

"Teletraan I, contact Skyfire. Tell him to return to the Ark at once."

"Order acknowledged," Teletraan I replied. In the next moment, the Autobots were shocked when their computer added: "Warning: lost contact with second scanning device."

Indeed, there was only one orb left, and it was swiftly moving towards the Cape of Good Hope. Now the Autobots knew that _that _couldn't possibly be good news.

"Teletraan I, what was the last known location of the second orb?" Optimus asked.

"Sector R-60."

"That's the Decepticon Base," Hound said. "It looks like we're in for a race."

Optimus couldn't agree more to that.

----------------

He had become quite tense since the first orb disappeared and he had barely taken his eyes off the screen. However, as time passed, he was dismayed to see that the other two orbs had yet to locate anything of importance, and he didn't know what to think anymore.

Was it possible that his search had been for nothing after all? Could it be that he was wrong in his assumptions and he would have to start looking elsewhere?

It was then that the second orb vanished from the screen. Jumping at the chance, he zoomed in and twitched his fingers to read on screen any information there was about the Pacific Ocean.

He smiled when he saw that there _was _a shuttle there, because he understood that nothing was lost after all. And now it was time to find out if this shuttle was actually the one he had been looking for.

It was with that thought in mind that he activated his ship and directed it westward.

_TBC..._


	4. In Search For Clues

Inside the Nemesis, the Decepticons were gathered in the main room so to hear the conversation between Soundwave and Megatron. After all, they were quite curious about that little yellow orb that Soundwave discovered outside their ship. It didn't resemble any Autobot device they knew, and it certainly didn't belong to any Decepticon either.

To whom did it belong then?

"Extraterrestrial sonar, you say?" Megatron said, sitting on a tall chair in the centre of the room.

"Yes, Megatron," Soundwave replied in his usual monotone. "But any other information is unavailable."

"Very intriguing," the Decepticon leader said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "It seems we're not the only ones in the universe interested in this planet."

"Why should this matter to us, Megatron?" Starscream said at that moment, keeping his arms crossed in front of his chest-plate. "If anything, it means we should drain this planet dry before anybody elsebeats us to it."

"Silence, Starscream," Megatron snapped, glaring at his second-in-command. He stood up and started pacing up and down the room. "Whoever sent this detector already have a serious advantage over us: they know where we are. The fact that we picked up their toy certainly alerted them to the fact."

"Oh boy…" Rumble said, shaking his head. "We're sitting turbo-ducks, aren't we?"

"Not if we can help it," Megatron said. "Soundwave, send Laserbeak on the surface and have him patrol the area. If anything comes within the range of the Nemesis, I want to know about it at once."

"Yes, Megatron," Soundwave replied and opened his tape deck. "Laserbeak, eject. Operation: surveillance."

Laserbeak jumped out of the tape deck, letting out a metallic squawk. He circled once above the Decepticon ranks before Megatron opened the hatch for him to go out; then flew upwards, disappearing out of sight.

As soon as Laserbeak was gone, Megatron had one more order for the rest of his troops.

"Decepticons… get ready to welcome our guest."

**---------------------------**

The sun was already high above the sky dome, showering the Atlantic Ocean dotingly with its sunbeams. A gentle breeze created ripples in the water, and the effect that was created on the surface would have dazzled any observant.

Well… almost.

"I can't believe Prime sent me on a scouting mission right in the middle of nowhere," Tracks said. He had landed on the beach barely five minutes ago, and he hadn't stopped complaining from the moment he had transformed to his robot mode. "The salty air is murder to my paintjob and I'm already feeling sand getting in my legs. It's appalling!"

"Hey, I'm not enjoying this any more than you do," Powerglide said, transforming to his robot mode as well. "So the sooner we find anything unusual, the sooner we can fly back home."

"Right," Tracks said, looking at the barren surroundings. "_If _we find anything, that is."

"Stop complaining and let's get to work," the minibot said. He pointed to his right. "I'll take this side and you can take the other one."

"Your generosity amazes me," Tracks said dryly.

"What's the matter? There isn't that much sand on yourside," Powerglide said defensively.

"There are more rocks. Do you seriously wantmy legs scratched as well?"

"Oh fine," Powerglide declared. "I'll go get my legs scratched; you can go get the sand all over your circuitries. Deal?"

"I suppose it's better than nothing," Tracks said glumly. "I'll let you know if I find anything."

"Same here," Powerglide said.

With that, both Autobots set off, figuring that it wouldn't be difficult to discover anything strange in that Primus-forsaken place.

Sure enough, Tracks discovered the first oddity, shining brilliantly in the sunlight. Surprised and forgetting for a moment that he was on sand, he knelt down to look at the strange coloured patch in front of him.

It was glass. A very crude version of it, but glass nonetheless.

Now that had Tracks thinking hard. He knew that, though it waspossible to create glass in sand, it would take a great amount of heat to achieve that. So what could have caused it? Tracks looked around, but he couldn't find anything that could have created such kind of heat.

Unless… Tracks supposed that exhaust fumes from a shuttle could qualify as big amounts of heat, but he couldn't be sure until he talked with Powerglide.

"Hey, Tracks!"

Tracks looked up, surprised to see Powerglide at the entrance of a cave several feet away from him. "How did youget here?"

"The cave serves like a shortcut connecting both sides of the island," Powerglide explained. "But that's not what I called you for. You'd better come and have a look at what I found."

"Powerglide, I want you to look at something too. Can't your discovery wait for a while?" Tracks asked.

"Nope," Powerglide answered. "Now come on."

Tracks grumbled something very unkind under his breath, but followed the minibot inside the cave anyway. He only hoped that, whatever Powerglide found, would be worthwhile the Corvette's attention.

He certainly didn't expect that he would follow Powerglide up to a puddle of mud. He was about to say something very unkind right in the minibot's face, but it was then that he noticed that there was a large imprint in the middle of the puddle… and it _wasn't _Powerglide's or any Cybertronian's for that matter. In fact, it looked more like the sole of a boot.

"Looks like something was here," Powerglide said.

Tracks couldn't agree more. He immediately opened his communication frequencies to contact Prime.

**---------------------------**

Optimus still kept his arms crossed, contemplating carefully what Tracks and Powerglide reported to him.

"You didn't find any sign of the aliens themselves?" he asked.

Tracks shook his head. "The island was empty by the time we arrived."

"And they must have been gone for some time," Powerglide said. "The glass fragments were cold."

Optimus bowed his head slightly. "That doesn't change the fact that something _was _there. That means one out of two things: they either detected your presence or they got attracted by something else."

"Like the Decepticons?" Tracks asked; he knew by now that the enemy was also aware of the alien's presence on the planet.

"Perhaps," the Autobot leader said. "Good job, both of you. Return to the Ark for recharge. Optimus out."

"Roger that. Tracks and Powerglide out," the scouts said, and terminated their transmission, leaving Optimus alone with his thoughts.

Optimus looked at the screen in a tired manner before ordering Teletraan-I to show him the current location of the third orb. Teletraan-I complied at once, and Optimus watched as the orb moved swiftly toward the Mediterranean waters.

"Just what are you looking for?" Optimus mused aloud, as though expecting the orb to answer him.

That wasn't the only thing that was troubling Optimus now, though. He also suspected that the alien life-form probably left the island in search for the missing orbs. That meant either the Autobots or the Decepticons were in for a certain surprise.

That train of thought led also to many questions. What kind of alien life-form were they dealing with? What were their intentions? Would the Autobots be forced to fight them? More importantly… would the Autobots be _able_ to fight them, if it came down to that?

Optimus shook his head, because he realised that his answers ranged from insufficient to non-existent. He could only hope that a certain space-travelling Autobot would shed some more light in the matter.

"You wanted to see me, Optimus Prime?"

Optimus faced Skyfire, more than happy to see the large white mech. "Yes," he said, beckoning Skyfire to sit down. "There's an important matter I need to discuss with you."

If Skyfire was surprised by this request, he didn't show it. "Of course. How can I help you?"

Optimus knew that there was no point in beating about the bush, as humans usually put it. So, he just went ahead and asked what was on his mind.

"I know that you were entrapped in the ice for a very long time and your memory banks even suffered some damage because of it," he said. "However, I want to know what you remember from your exploration missions before the War."

Skyfire nodded. "Is there something you want to know in particular?"

"Actually, there is," Optimus replied. "We have reasons to believe that there's an alien life-form scanning Earth's oceans and we want to know why."

"I see," Skyfire said. "What do we know so far?"

"That they're about the size of an average Cybertronian, but their prints are quite similar to a human's," Optimus answered. "And that they're technologically advanced enough to travel in space."

Skyfire's optics reflected his frowning expression. "I'm afraid that this is rather vague. There are a number of alien life-forms that fit that description."

Optimus let out a sigh, aware that he had probably asked too much from the valkyrie.

"But there's something I can do."

Optimus looked at Skyfire, optics slightly widening.

"I can make a list of any possible matches within my memory banks. As you give me more clues, I can narrow down those matches until we can get to the most likely candidate."

Optimus nodded. "That will definitely help. Do that."

"Of course. Is there anything else I should know about?"

"Seaspray found a mechanism of theirs, and we also have an echolocation frequency. Perceptor and Wheeljack can show them to you."

"Then I'll go check them out and I'll work on the list."

"Good. Thank you, Skyfire."

"Don't thank me yet," the valkyrie said. "Let's see if I get any results first." And with that, Skyfire turned on his heel and was about to head at Wheeljack's lab.

Just then, Teletraan I let out another warning sound. "Attention! Third unidentified device has disappeared from Sky Spy's sensors."

Optimus and Skyfire tensed at this news. "What was its last known location, Teletraan I?" Optimus asked.

"Greek Islands. Coordinates: 36° 24′N 25° 24′E﻿"

That was enough as an answer.

"I'll go fill my fuel tanks," Skyfire said.

Optimus nodded his agreement and activated the Ark's speakers.

"Autobots, report on the main control room, on the double."

-------------

The Autobots responded immediately to their leader's command, of course. Five minutes later, everyone within the Ark was in the control room to hear what Optimus had to say.

"Teletraan I has pinpointed the location of the scanning device before it disappeared. Apparently, it's a cluster of islands close to the Greek mainland," Optimus declared, pointing at the computer screen. Indeed, all the Autobots could see a small red dot surrounded by several islands. "The island is called Santorini. It's about 200 miles away from the Greek capital."

"What could possibly be there?" Huffer wondered. "Sure, the place looks pretty lively, but that's about it."

"Actually, the island is a lot more interesting than that," Beachcomber said. "It's also a pretty active volcanic centre."

"And there are actually people living there?" Bumblebee asked in surprise.

"They have been living there since prehistoric times," Sparkplug said. "Santorini is part of the so-called Ancient Greek civilisation – one of the most powerful ones back in its time."

"And now it has become part of something else," Optimus said, looking at his subordinates. "I've already contacted the Prime Minister of Greece and he's given us permission to land in the local waters."

Ratchet looked at the monitor dubiously. "Judging by the mere size of the islands, I don't think we'll be able to circulate much on them," he said.

"No," Optimus said. "That's why the Prime Minister has already offered us a tanker where Skyfire can land. We can use it as temporary headquarters for as long as we stay within Greek territory."

"Right. So who's going?" Gears asked.

"I'll go," Optimus said. "Perceptor, Wheeljack, Ratchet, you'll be coming as well. Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Brawn, Jazz, Hound and Mirage will come also. Beachcomber, you'll join us too. We'll need your geological expertise."

"Optimus, let me come along!" Spike exclaimed. "I've always wanted to see Greece."

"It's perfectly fine by me," the Autobot leader replied. "As long as your father has no objections."

"I don't," Sparkplug said, smiling. "But I'll be coming with you."

"Very well," Optimus said. "Prowl, I leave you in charge of the Ark."

"As you wish," the tactician said, before giving Sideswipe a very cool stare and added: "I'll make sure there are no… mishaps."

Sideswipe made a face as if he got caught stealing from the energon goody-jar, but Optimus didn't have the luxury to contemplate on this for long. The piercing sound of an incoming transmission made him activate his communication frequencies.

"Go ahead," he said.

"I'm ready for the trip," Skyfire's voice sounded from the other end of the link.

"All right," Optimus replied. "Autobots, you heard Skyfire. Transform and roll out!"

_TBC…_


	5. A Deal

He still travelled at a fairly good speed, keeping his hands on the control panel and his eyes on the monitor. He was surprised when he noticed that his third tracking orb had also disappeared from view; especially when the readings warned him that it disappeared close to another shuttle. Nevertheless, he stayed on his current course. He could afford investigating the other area later on, after he had made sure that the shuttle he was now approaching wasn't the one he had been looking for. If there was one thing he had learned well, it was never leave anything to chance. That was also why he still kept his shuttle in cloaked mode. He didn't have to make his presence known, at least not yet. He would play this game on hisrules.

Just then, his scanners detected an unknown object, flying straight ahead. Deciding that he needed a visual confirmation, he activated a small external camera and zoomed in. What he saw was a strange mechanical device, built to resemble a large Earth-bird, giving the impression that it was on the lookout for something.

Could it be looking for him? If it were, then he would have to do something about it.

Baring his teeth in a predatory grin, he set his ship in auto-pilot. He needed the practice before going after the real thing, after all.

-------------

A couple of hours had already passed, and there was no sign of any intruder approaching. Because of that, some of the Decepticons had started becoming quite impatient, even tense. In fact, they would have flown to meet the unknown alien forms already but for Megatron's orders; as he reasoned, it was best to face your adversary on your own turf. So, the Decepticons remained at their posts, keeping an open optic on anything out of the ordinary. It was the only thing they coulddo under the circumstances, thought that didn't stop them from talking to each other.

"Hey, Thundercracker," Skywarp said. "See anything yet?"

"Not really," Thundercracker said, staring at the surveillance monitor. "You?"

"Nothing."

"So… guys," Frenzy said then, "What do you suppose those aliens look like?"

"Dead, if they try anything funny," Skywarp replied with a smirk.

"Nothing like the flesh-creatures, that's for sure," Thundercracker said thoughtfully. "Did you see that orb? It was almost Cybertronian-sized."

"Well, you know what they say: the bigger they are… the harder they fall," Rumble said, grinning at the joke he made.

"The question is: _how _hard?" Astrotrain murmured under his breath, not sharing Rumble's overconfidence.

"If you don't want to find out, you should pay more attention to your surroundings," Starscream's voice sounded from behind the triple-changer. The second-in-command was smirking, and one of his null-ray guns was aimed at Astrotrain. "You never know from where they could show up."

"Very funny, Starscream," Astrotrain replied with a scowl. He turned around and swatted the Seeker's arm away from his face. "But you should be more concerned about yourself. They might smell your fear."

If Starscream ever meant to answer that, he never got a chance. At that moment, the alarms of the Nemesis went off, and it didn't take a great mind to guess what that meant: an intruder.

"Why didn't Laserbeak detect anything?" Rumble exclaimed in surprise.

"That bird-brain is obviously glitched!" Skywarp said. He immediately activated his transmitter. "Skywarp to Megatron. We found something… and is knocking on our door."

"Impossible! Nothing passes by the Nemesis's defence systems!" Megatron exclaimed, but his surprise didn't last for long. "No matter. Our guest will just have to pay for his insolence. Meet me by the Nemesis's doors at once."

"As you command, oh brave Megatron," Starscream said, not bothering to hide the tone of sarcasm from his voice.

-------------

When all the Decepticons rushed to join their leader at their point of meeting, Megatron and Soundwave were already there, their optics locked on the doors.

"Reflector, open the entrance. Let us finally see what we're dealing with."

Reflector complied at once. Following all the necessary procedures, he first secured the room they were in so that no water would go further into the Nemesis, and then he switched open the doors. As water rushed inside, the Decepticons swam outside and started searching.

Soon enough, they found what they had been looking for. The alien shuttle had landed a mere couple of feet away from the Nemesis, but it wasn't that kind of audacity that intrigued the Decepticons; it was the size of the shuttle itself. The particular spaceship was merely a dwarf compared to the Decepticon's base, looking even smaller than the Nemesis's cockpit. In fact, it was big enough for two, maybe three Decepticons at most to fit in there.

"It would seem that either these life-forms are very bold – or very foolish," Megatron commented. He landed on the soft ground, and the other Decepticons followed his example. "Soundwave, how many forms can you detect?"

"None, Megatron. The shuttle is empty."

"Impossible!" Megatron exclaimed. "The shuttle didn't come here by itself!"

"It appears the foolish aliens gave you the slip, Megatron," Starscream noted, not in the least sorry.

"Not for long!" Megatron exclaimed, his tone practically a snarl. "Skywarp, destroy the shuttle at once!"

Skywarp knew what that meant. As soon as Megatron transformed to his gun form, the Seeker grabbed him and aimed him at the shuttle.

"One big kaboom coming up," he said, grinning; then started firing repeatedly. In a matter of moments, the shuttle had exploded to pieces, leaving nothing but debris behind.

"Excellent," Megatron said, sounding quite satisfied with Skywarp's job. He transformed back to his robot form and he turned to Soundwave. "See if your sensors can pick up anything unusual in the area."

"Yes, Megatron," Soundwave answered, complying at once. He had hardly activated his scanners, however, when he faced his leader. "I'm picking up a signal."

"Where from?" Megatron asked.

"Inside Headquarters."

"Is it them?" Thundercracker asked.

"No way! How did they get in?" Frenzy exclaimed.

"You can ask them when we get back inside," Megatron said. "After_ I'm _done questioning them first!" And with that, he took off again.

The other Decepticons followed their leader quite obediently. That is, except for Starscream. He caught sight of something shining just a little further from him, piquing his curiosity. It was a piece of yellow metal, quite different from the silver-grey shuttle Megatron destroyed moments ago. And it looked very much like…

Starscream picked it up and had a closer look at it. It _was _an insignia, a very strange-looking one for that matter. And Starscream understood that it was some kind of ideogram, probably of the alien life-form's race.

Still… Starscream had seen it somewhere before. He was quite sure of it. Where, though?

Starscream rubbed his chin thoughtfully. If he _had _seen something like it before, it must have been a very long time ago. He couldn't retrieve the information from his databank without some time-consuming search.

No matter. He could try to search his files if the… guest… didn't provide any satisfactory answers. In the meantime, he would keep the trinket for himself. It could prove useful.

With that thought in mind, Starscream subspaced the insignia in his forearm; then took off to catch up with the others. If he noticed the curious glances the other two Seekers gave him as soon as he joined them, he certainly didn't show it.

-------------

The door of the Nemesis opened slowly and, moments later, the Decepticons were inside the spaceship.

"The signal is getting stronger," Soundwave said. "It's coming from the main control room."

Megatron merely nodded before he boldly headed in the direction Soundwave showed him. The rest of the Decepticons still followed him loyally, although they weren't sure what could be waiting for them inside the control room. Some of them even fidgeted nervously when Megatron opened the doors.

They certainly didn't expect to see a creature that would have resembled the Earthen fleshlings but for its size. In fact, he – for his features certainly denoted his gender as male – was about as tall as an average Cybertronian. Most of his body was clad in dark material in such a way that the humans would have probably called it a sort of uniform, but it wasn't any kind of clothing. If one looked closely enough, they would have noticed that its texture was quite hard, and it was a part of the creature like the metal plating was part of a regular Cybertronian. His head, neck and hands were the only parts that weren't covered in black, revealing pale flesh-like skin that contrasted violently with his short black hair and eyebrows.

Green eyes that looked like a human's except for the missing black pupil looked back at them. The creature stood in the centre of the room, keeping his arms crossed and clearly waiting for any of the Cybertronians to speak.

Megatron decided to oblige him. "I'm Megatron, leader of the Decepticons," he said, pointing at himself. "Identify yourself, creature."

"You can call me a Hunter, for that's what I am," the creature said. He was using his mouth to form words, but his voice was slightly echoing and deep, as if it came from the very centre of his body. "And though you proved an interesting game, Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, you aren't the one I've been searching for."

"Really?" Megatron said. "What kind of game were you looking for exactly, Hunter? Does it have to do with what your orbs were tracking?"

"You could say that," the Hunter answered. "Those devices were meant to pick up anything unusual they scanned. Your spaceship simply happened to be one of those things that piqued my curiosity the most."

"So, in spite of what some of my subordinates believe," at that, Megatron positively glared at Starscream, "You aren't looking for energy sources."

The Hunter snorted and allowed himself a small smirk. "Energy is the least of my worries, as the scan that your companion is running on me can tell you."

Soundwave regarded the Hunter in what could be described a curious manner before he turned to his leader. "Megatron, the readings indicate that the creature is made of pure energy, deriving from the centre of his exoskeleton."

"That was what your pet read before it had a little… accident." And with that, the Hunter moved aside to reveal Laserbeak on the floor, in an offline state.

"Laserbeak!" Soundwave exclaimed.

"All right, you oversized energy bloat!" Frenzy said, clenching his jaw and holding up his gun. "You've just signed your death warrant."

"Frenzy, hold your fire!"

It was too late; Frenzy had already pulled the trigger. Yet the Hunter regarded the ray almost coldly as he raised one of his hands.

The ray was merely absorbed in his body without so much as scratching the flesh-looking palm. Though none of the Decepticons had expected that, it only angered them more. Skywarp and Thundercracker raised their arms to fire, whereas Rumble readied his pistons.

"Such attacks are futile," the Hunter said with a small smile. He turned to Megatron and Soundwave. "Your spy is less harmed than he appears to be. I simply wanted to hack into his memory banks without much resistance, so to understand what I was dealing with… and also to get your attention."

"For what purpose?" Megatron asked.

"So you can hear out a proposition," the Hunter answered, returning Laserbeak to Soundwave. "I think it might interest you."

"Very well," Megatron said. "I'm willing to listen."

"The matter is quite simple," the Hunter said. "You destroyed my shuttle and any means useful in order to find my prey in consequence. However, you've been here for quite a while and you have the right equipment for the task. You can help me in my chase."

"I can," Megatron said. "But what can you offer me back in return, Hunter?"

"Myself," the creature replied without hesitation. "You wish for energy, and I'm made from unlimited energy to use at your disposal."

"Really?" Megatron rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner. "Care to give me a demonstration?"

The Hunter nodded. That was enough as an answer for Megatron. He turned to Soundwave, who was still holding Laserbeak in his hands and examining him.

"Soundwave, prepare twenty energon cubes at once."

"Yes, Megatron," Soundwave replied, already forming cubes from his chest plate. A few moments afterwards, there were twenty cubes lying in front of the Hunter.

The Hunter looked at Megatron with an expression that clearly asked the Decepticon if that was all; then placed a palm on the cube closest to him. Green sparks flew as the cube was filled to the brim, but the Hunter didn't let go. Soon, the second cube was filled as well, then the third; until all twenty cubes were full with the creature's energy.

"Impressive," Megatron noted, looking at the cubes. "Hunter, you've just made yourself a deal."

"I'm glad," the Hunter replied.

"Now," Megatron said, regarding the alien with an almost polite smile, "How can I help you?"

The Hunter simply placed his hand on the Nemesis's main control panel, activating the monitor to show a map of Southern Europe.

"You found one of my tracking orbs. However, I had also sent two more. One of them stopped functioning here," he said and pointed at the Greek Islands. "Though I know there's another shuttle there, I'm now compelled to ask you this, Megatron: is it any of yours?"

"No," Megatron replied. "There are only two spaceships from Cybertron. This is one of them, and the other is on land."

"Then we should leave at once," the Hunter declared. "My prey is definitely there."

"Just a moment, Hunter," Megatron said then. "You said you sent two orbs. What happened to the other one?"

"It was the first one to have stopped functioning," the Hunter explained. "However, I disregarded its readings because there weren't any shuttles in the area."

"I see." However, Megatron wasn't reassured in the least. "Tell me something, Hunter. Which area was it?"

"Greenland."

Megatron started pacing the room. "That's Seaspray's usual haunt," he said softly. "That means the Autobots must have also become aware of your presence on this planet, Hunter."

"Who?" the creature asked, mildly mystified.

But Megatron waved his hand dismissively. "It is of no importance. Thundercracker will explain matters to you while he shows you around to get yourself acquainted with your new… lodgings," he said, and he signalled to the blue Seeker.

Thundercracker was certainly surprised by that kind of order, but he complied anyway. He beckoned the Hunter to follow him outside the room.

As soon as the doors closed, Frenzy was the first of the remaining Decepticons to voice his objections.

"I don't get it. What do we need this guy here for?"

"We ought to kick that exoskeletal aft of his while we still can!" Rumble seconded.

"You will do no such thing," Megatron ordered and sat down in front of the control panel, staring at the screen.

"Why? Because of his magic trick?" Starscream asked. "We don't need his energon cubes when we can get twice as many from the Insecticons!"

"You're an idiot, Starscream," Megatron said. "I'm not interested in his energon cubes. At least, not as much as I'm interested in _that_." He pointed at the screen, where a single dot flashed over the Greek Islands. "If he's willing to offer himself as a bargaining tool in his desperation to find that prey of his, it means that the prey is something very valuable. I won't give it to him when I can claim it as ours alone."

"What about the Autobots?" Soundwave asked.

Megatron crossed his arms and smiled wickedly. "There's a chance we're still ahead of them. But even if we aren't… we'll let them fight our _friend_ while we take off with our prize."

With that, Megatron's cold, triumphant laughter filled the room. Whenever that happened, the rest of the Decepticons knew that their leader had already made up his mind about matters. So, when Megatron ordered them to prepare for a long flight, everyone simply obeyed.

Starscream was still restless, though.

"I don't think this Hunter creature is worth our trust," he mumbled grudgingly. He leaned close to Soundwave. "How long will it take you to repair Laserbeak? He might still have some information stored in his memory banks that we could use."

"The memory banks are tampered. His encounter with the Hunter has been deleted," Soundwave replied, holding the offline Laserbeak gently. "And there are punctures of unknown nature in the plating."

"Punctures?" Starscream didn't expect that answer. "Let me have a look."

Soundwave indulged him and showed him one of Laserbeak's wings, where Starscream could clearly see two holes that pierced the metal through and through.

But…

If the Hunter really did that to Laserbeak, how did he do it without any weapons?

_TBC..._


	6. The Island

Though it was quite early in the morning, Fira, the capital of Santorini, was already bustling with life. The fishermen had gathered in the market to sell their catch; the housewives were out on the doorstep of their homes to clean the white steps and exchange some small talk; a lot of the elderly were at the small cafeterias that were spread throughout the town, playing a game of backgammon to pass the time; whereas the stray dogs and cats basked under the warm sun.

Spike, however, barely noticed those things.

"Um… Dad? Why does it feel like everything's spinning?"

Sparkplug sighed and patted his son on the shoulder. "It's called jet-lag, Spike. It will soon pass."

"I'd rather it passed now," Spike declared mournfully. "Maybe I should go lie down in our room or something."

"Come on, son," Sparkplug said with a smile. "The best way to cure jet-lag is to get out and interact with the locals. Besides, where will you be able to see a view like this again?" The mechanic looked towards the sea, breathing in the salty air that reached his nostrils. "There's nothing compared to this!"

"No, I guess not," Spike finally agreed, though he looked at a different kind of view: a sixteen-year-old girl passing by him, her long brown hair cascading down her back. "It's a pity Bumblebee couldn't be here though. Who would have thought the roads here are so narrow?"

Sparkplug chuckled. "Well, we're not in Kansas anymore, if you know what I mean," he said.

"Which brings us to the next important question," Spike said. "Where are we supposed to start asking around first?"

"Well, the captain of the tanker said that the best option are the cafeterias," Sparkplug answered, scratching his head. "There are lots of people there who might want to tell us if they've seen or heard of anything peculiar."

"Okay," Spike said. "So should we split up?"

"All right," Sparkplug said. "You take this side of town, and I'll take the other one. Be back here in an hour?"

"Sure thing," Spike said. "Later, Dad."

"Just don't get lost!" Sparkplug said with a brief wave of his hand. Moments later, he had disappeared around the corner, leaving Spike murmuring under his breath:

"I couldn't get lost around here even if I wanted to."

--------------------

Most people that were on the beach could easily see a large tanker anchored just a few kilometres away. However, no one paid much attention to it, since they were more interested in enjoying the warm sun and a good swim in the sea. So, no one bothered to notice that the particular tanker was housing large mechanical beings from another planet.

It was just as well. The mechanical beings, known to most of the world as simply Transformers, weren't in Santorini on vacation.

Optimus Prime was still talking to the captain of the tanker, when Mirage walked up to him.

"Sorry to interrupt, Prime," he said. "Wheeljack and the others want a word with you."

"Very well," Optimus said. He faced the human again. "We will have to continue our discussion later, Captain."

"It's fine. If you need me anything, let me know," the captain said in fluent English, though his Greek accent was still quite audible.

"Of course," Optimus said, and he followed Mirage to the group of Autobots that was standing around a large control panel, clearly Cybertronian made. Skyfire was practically towering over the rest of the Autobots as he stood right next to them.

"Well, Wheeljack?" Optimus said, regarding the engineer curiously. "Is it done?"

"Yeah, and working quite well if I say so myself," the Lancia answered with a tinge of pride. "Brawn will just have to dive into the water with these little beauties," with that, Wheeljack held up two more devices that easily fit on the palm of his hand, "and we're all set."

"I still don't know what I'm supposed to do with them," Brawn pointed out, crossing his arms.

"It's quite elementary, really," Perceptor said. "All you have to do is utilise the detector in your hands to find the orb."

"Hold on. We're talkin' about lookin' for a needle in a haystack here," Jazz said then. "How are we supposed to find the orb when it's not functionin'?"

"It's still our best option for the present," Wheeljack said. "If we find that, we might find what elseis down there."

"Quite right," Perceptor said. "That is why Brawn will be equipped with a camera on the top of his helm as well. It will provide us with optical feedback of his surroundings."

"So, basically, I go in and scout," Brawn said with a huff; he was always a mech that favoured action rather than words.

"That about sums it up," Ratchet said.

"Right." Brawn turned to Wheeljack. "Hand over the gimmicks. It's time to start."

Wheeljack didn't have to be told twice, of course. He gave the detector to Brawn; then carefully placed the camera on the tough minibot's head. After making sure that it was secure enough not to be knocked out of place by accident, he activated it and gave Brawn the thumbs up in a signal that he was ready. Signalling back, Brawn swiftly dove into the sea-green depths, and Perceptor activated the control panel. All the Autobots were quite pleased to see that the camera was working perfectly, showing everything that Brawn came across.

However…

"The detector doesn't seem to be picking up anything unusual in these parts," Mirage noted thoughtfully.

"It probably will in time," Optimus said, patting his subordinate's shoulder. "We'll just have to be patient about it."

The spy nodded his understanding, and the Autobot leader turned to Ratchet.

"Did you get any news from the others?" he asked.

"No," Ratchet replied. "But, knowing Beachcomber, I bet they're still collecting rocks."

-----------------

Ratchet couldn't have been any more accurate. Beachcomber was indeed roaming about the numerous volcanic craters that were dispersed in Santorini. He was treading carefully, as the ground was quite unstable. It still didn't stop him from attempting to approach any piece of ignimbrite that caught his optic.

He yelped when he slipped all of a sudden, and he would have certainly fallen at the bottom of the crater if it weren't for a pair of hands grabbing him at the last minute.

"Thanks, man," Beachcomber said.

"You're welcome," Bumblebee said. He turned to face the other two Autobots that were holding _him _in turn. "Cliffjumper, Hound… you can drag us up now. I think we've seen enough for one day."

"Wait!" Beachcomber cried, reaching out with his free hand to pick up the rock that had drawn his attention in the first place. "Okay, now I'm ready."

Hound, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper could only shake their heads at that. Beachcomber was a pretty laid-back mech but, when it came to researching, he was downright unstoppable.

"I don't get why you'd risk yourself over a thing like that," Cliffjumper said once they were all on safer ground. He pointed accusingly at the rock Beachcomber held with such pride and joy. "If you wanted any stones, you could have picked up some from our base, you know."

"What makes you think I haven't already?" Beachcomber said with a grin. "But each volcano has a different story to tell, Cliffjumper."

"I find that hard to believe," Cliffjumper said with a snort.

"You shouldn't," Beachcomber said with a tease, dusting off some of the dirt that was still clinging to the rock. "Then you would have known that we aren't standing on soil, but on tephra from the last eruption 30 years ago. And two more layers of tephra show that there were at least two more eruptions in this century alone; pretty violent ones for that matter."

Bumblebee shifted his legs nervously. "But we aren't in any danger now… right?"

Beachcomber laughed. "Don't worry, bud. Volcanoes hardly go off without some warning first. Isn't that right, Hound?"

There was no answer. The minibots turned around, surprised to see that there was no sign of the jeep anywhere.

"Hound?" Cliffjumper said.

"Come on, Hound, this is no time for hide and seek!" Bumblebee cried, looking in all directions in the hopes of catching a glimpse of their fellow Autobot.

"Hound!" Beachcomber shouted.

"Over here!" the jeep finally answered, making his appearance from another crater nearby. "Sorry about that."

"Primus, next time you want to wander off, give a little warning first," Bumblebee said, though he was clearly relieved to see Hound safe. "What were you doing anyway?"

"Looking for rocks, too?" Cliffjumper asked with a gentle huff.

"No, I found something else," Hound answered, chuckling. "Come and have a look for yourselves." And with that, he went down the crater again.

The minibots couldn't help but feel curious, so they decided to go and see Hound's finding. Beachcomber let out a whistle as soon as he and the other minibots saw what it was: the entrance of a small cave.

"Impressive. It must be part of an old lava flow," he commented, leaning close to examine the cave better. "These tunnels can go on for miles on end, forming natural mazes."

"It's a pity we can't go inside to explore though," Hound noted rather ruefully. It was obvious he wanted to check out the cave.

"Maybe Roller will be able to get in," Bumblebee said thoughtfully.

"Definitely," Beachcomber said. "If there's anyone who can find his way in there, it's him."

"Okay. Hold on while I make contact with Optimus." Bumblebee declared, and he opened his communication frequencies.

----------------------

It was around noon when Sparkplug finally arrived at the small square where he and Spike were supposed to meet after their investigation. Spike was already there, sitting on a small bench in what little shade there was to be found at this time of day.

Sparkplug supposed it was only natural. It was a hot day, and the fact that there was a volcano right under their feet didn't help matters either. He himself was drenched in sweat, and the idea of a swim in the Aegean waters didn't seem bad at all.

_Maybe after our job here is done,_ Sparkplug thought.

Just then, Spike noticed him and waved at him, clearly happy to see him.

"Hey, Spike," Sparkplug said and sat next to his son. "Did you find out anything?"

"Not really," Spike said, shaking his head. "Most of the locals didn't know English to begin with, and even the people who did know weren'thelpful." He regarded his father curiously. "How about you?"

"Same here, I'm afraid," Sparkplug answered. "No one seems to have noticed anything. That's strange, if you ask me."

"Why?" Spike asked, not really understanding.

"These people have been living here practically all their lives. They know this island and the waters around it better than anyone," Sparkplug reasoned. "So isn't it a bit suspicious that no one has seen anything that's even remotely unusual?"

"I don't know, Dad," Spike said. "The Autobots and the Decepticons were here for a very long time, and yet we've only found out about them three years ago."

"That's true," Sparkplug admitted.

A grumbling sound emanated from both father and son's stomachs, and they exchanged a look of embarrassment.

"Guess we're still used to Portland Time," Sparkplug said sheepishly.

"Yeah," Spike agreed. "Should we get back to the tanker?"

But Sparkplug smiled as another idea crossed his mind. "I've heard Greek cuisine is excellent. It would be a shame not to check it out for ourselves, don't you think?" He stood up, beckoning his son to follow him. "Come on, I spotted a nice place on my way here."

Spike didn't object and, a few minutes later, father and son were pushing the small wooden gate of a white-coloured _taverna_. Sparkplug and Spike took in their surroundings, and they had to agree that the place proved cosy. They sat by a wooden table, and then waited patiently for the waiter to appear.

They didn't have to wait for long. Soon enough, a friendly-looking man in white with a plain apron tied around his waist came up to them. He wasn't very tall, and he was also rather portly. Nevertheless, he walked briskly and with a vitality that certainly belied his physique.

"_Chairete, kyrioi,_" he said. When he noticed the baffled expressions in Sparkplug and Spike's faces, though, he let out a small _oh _sound and tried again. "I'm sorry. You aren't Greeks, are you?"

"No, we're Americans," Sparkplug answered with a smile. He extended his hand in the man's direction. "I'm Sparkplug and this is my son, Spike."

"Ah! Pleased to meet you!" the man said, taking Sparkplug's hand and completing the handshake. "I'm Nicholas Argyrou. I help my wife to run business here. Is this your first time in Santorini?"

"Yes, it is. I have to say I'm quite impressed by it, too," Sparkplug answered. "And your English is excellent."

"I'm glad you think so," Mr. Argyrou said, smiling broadly. "Will you stay here long?"

"It depends," Sparkplug answered truthfully enough. "We have to take care of some business first."

"Oh, I see," Mr. Argyrou said. "It's a pity my older nephew isn't here. He could show you around the place if you wanted." He turned to Spike. "He's about your age, lad; I'm sure you'd get along."

"Thanks for the offer, but it's fine," Sparkplug said reassuringly. "So… what dishes do you recommend?"

"Right, sorry," Mr. Argyrou said, remembering himself. "For starters, I would suggest some Greek salad and _tzatziki_. You should also try my wife's stuffed vine leaves; it's her specialty. And I assure you that the fish are fresh; I caught them myself this morning."

"Okay," Sparkplug replied. "You can bring everything."

"Excellent," Mr. Argyrou declared. He took out a small notebook and took down the order with experienced ease. "Do you want some wine too?"

"No, some water will be enough," Sparkplug said.

"Very well. I'll tell my younger nephew to set the table for you." And with that, the man went to the kitchen, calling out what sounded like a name.

"Talk about friendly or what," Spike noted.

"He wanted us to feel welcome, I suppose," Sparkplug said. "He seemed ready to help us out, too."

"Yeah, but I doubt he would be able to tell us much about what we really want to find out."

Sparkplug could only nod his agreement to that. Spike rested his back against the chair in a relaxed manner.

"So what do you think the aliens could be looking for?" the teenager asked then.

Sparkplug shrugged. "I'm not sure, son. It must be pretty important to them to go through all that trouble though."

"I guess," Spike said. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. "Still, I wonder what they look like. I mean, we've seen some pretty weird creatures these last three years."

"I'd rather know if they're friendly or not," Sparkplug replied. "The Decepticons are bad enough."

"Excuse me…" sounded a voice suddenly, cutting into the conversation.

Father and son turned around, surprised to see a boy standing right next to them and regarding them apprehensively. He was holding a tray with glasses and a pitcher filled with water on it, yet his hands were trembling.

"I couldn't help… hearing your talk," the boy said softly. He spoke English quite fluently, albeit nervously. "About the aliens."

Sparkplug and Spike knew that it could only mean one thing. The boy had understood them perfectly, and he even got frightened in the process.

"Ah… we weren't talking seriously," Sparkplug said at once, trying to save the situation somehow. "There are no aliens."

"But there _are_," the boy whispered urgently. "One of their ships is here."

Sparkplug and Spike stared at the boy in disbelief. "What are you talking about?" Sparkplug finally asked.

The boy put the tray down. "My uncle found it a long time ago. No one knows where it came from but… it's weird."

Sparkplug and Spike exchanged another look. It looked like they were about to find out more than they had expected.

"And that thing was a ship?" Sparkplug asked again.

"That's what some people say, even though they don't want to talk about it. But it's there, at the bottom of the sea."

"Do you think your uncle could take us there?" Spike asked.

The boy shook his head. "He doesn't want anyone to go there. Not after what happened to my brother."

"Your brother?" Sparkplug echoed. However, he remembered at that moment Mr. Argyrou saying that his older nephew "wasn't here." Realising that something was terribly wrong, he looked at the boy intently. "What happened to him?"

The boy swallowed hard and looked to his left and right. As soon as he made sure no one else would hear him, he leaned forward.

"He swam near the wreck… and something attacked him."

"_Andrea, arketa!_"

The boy flinched at Mr. Argyrou's voice and rushed inside the kitchen. Mr. Argyrou watched the boy go, his displeasure easily reflected in his eyes, and then walked up to Sparkplug and Spike. He was holding a tray as well, filled with everything the Witwickys had ordered.

"You'll have to forgive Andreas. He's a good kid, but his imagination is too wild," he said. He set the dishes on the table with a smile, though it was clearly a strained one. "Would you like anything else?"

Sparkplug immediately shook his head. "No, thank you."

"All right," Mr. Argyrou said. "If you need anything, just call." And with that, he went back to the kitchen too.

Spike looked at his father, a frown creased on his features.

"What was that about?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know," Sparkplug replied. "But we definitely need to find out more."

"How are we to do that?"

Sparkplug smiled. "Simple. We'll just ask."

Spike blinked, and hoped that his father knew what he was doing.

TBC…


	7. Recounting

"Very well, Bumblebee," Optimus said via his transmitter. "I will send you Roller shortly. Prime out."

With that, the Autobot leader closed his communication frequencies so that he could talk to Skyfire. The Valkyrie was sitting cross-legged just a couple of feet away from Optimus, his dimmed optics and his body posture in general giving the impression that he was recharging. However, Optimus knew better.

"How is that list of yours coming along, Skyfire?"

Skyfire onlined his optics to look at Optimus. "Smoothly, for the present. So far I've ruled out the life-forms that can't survive on Earth due to the atmospheric conditions," he answered. "I'm currently in the process of striking out those space-travelling life-forms that don't have a cloaking technology."

Optimus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I see. You think the reason we haven't detected the alien shuttle yet is because it's cloaked."

"That alone has narrowed down the list significantly," Skyfire said with a nod. He regarded Optimus in a curious manner. "Did Perceptor and the others recover any new information?"

"Unfortunately, no," Optimus answered, "And something tells me that we're in for an unpleasant surprise."

"Why?" Skyfire asked.

"Now that all the orbs have gone missing, the aliens are certain to be looking for them. But, according to Prowl, they haven't made their appearance near the Ark. Since we haven't seen them here either, we have to assume that they'ce encountered the Decepticons."

"And you're worried about their meeting," the Valkyrie noted.

Optimus crossed his arms and bowed his head. "Actually… I'm more worried about the _outcome _of their meeting."

-----------------

Neither Sparkplug nor Spike had realised how hungry they were; that is, until they got their first bite off their meal. Less than a quarter of an hour later, there was nothing on the table except empty plates, and father and son felt quite full. Mr. Argyrou had hardly come out from the kitchen; but the Witwickys still intended to discover more about what Andreas had started telling them, and Sparkplug knew just how to get that information.

"Mr. Argyrou!" Sparkplug called.

Mr. Argyrou came out, his smile still strained. "Yes?"

"Could we have the bill, please?"

Mr. Argyrou seemed to relax at those words, his expression carrying a hint of relief. "Of course. Hold on a second." He took out his small notebook and did the calculations with experienced ease before facing Sparkplug again. "That will be--"

"Before that, I want to know something else too," Sparkplug said immediately, not letting the other man continue.

Mr. Argyrou's smile vanished to be replaced with a frown, as the man already suspected what Sparkplug wanted. "Why do you want to listen to a boy's babbling?"

"Because it confirms something that my son and I have been interested in," Sparkplug answered truthfully. "And if we're to find that wreck…"

"No, you mustn't go there!" Mr. Argyrou exclaimed.

"Why?" Spike asked. "Because of what is in the water?"

Mr. Argyrou froze. His eyes widened in realisation, staring at the Witwickys with the look of someone finally caught.

"Mr. Argyrou, if there's anything dangerous near that wreck, we need to know about it," Sparkplug said. "You don't want other people to get hurt like your nephew, right?"

Mr. Argyrou snorted wryly. "My nephew was an idiot asking for trouble."

"What do you mean?" Sparkplug asked in surprise.

"I mean exactly that," Mr. Argyrou said. "He swam where he wasn't supposed to, even tried to steal something from the wreck Andreas told you about. My nephew foolishly provoked _it_, and he should be grateful nothing worse happened to him." The man shook his head. "If you know what's good for you, you won't make his mistake."

Sparkplug and Spike now understood that Mr. Argyrou knew a lot more than Andreas was aware of. In fact, it looked like things were about to get quite complicated.

"Mr. Argyrou, just what exactly did your nephew provoke?" Sparkplug asked.

"It doesn't matter," Mr. Argyrou replied. "Just leave it alone."

"I'm afraid we can't," Sparkplug said. "There are already others looking for it."

"What?!" To say Mr. Argyrou was shocked would have been an understatement.

Sparkplug nodded and beckoned the man to sit down. "Mr. Argyrou, there's something you have to understand. Trust me, it won't take long."

Mr. Argyrou swallowed hard, yet complied with Sparkplug's suggestion. So, Sparkplug told him everything about the strange signal and its significance, as well as the Autobots' part in all this. The man listened carefully, with mouth slightly agape and using his apron to wipe some of the sweat that started forming on his brow for other reasons besides the heat.

"Well, Mr. Argyrou?" Sparkplug asked when he finished his narrative. "Do you realise how things stand?"

Mr. Argyrou nodded slowly. "You really believe that those aliens are looking for the Wreck… and _it?_"

"Everything seems to be pointing to that direction," Sparkplug said.

"But, if that is true, isn't it dangerous for the Autobots to interfere?" Mr. Argyrou asked.

"It will probably get more dangerous without the Autobots around," Spike said. "If that thing you're talking about decides to fight back, a lot of people might get hurt."

"That means we'll have to find _it _first," Sparkplug said. "If we remove it from here, the island will stay out of harm."

"I don't think you can do that," Mr. Argyrou said with a shake of his head. "This… creature… isn't something you want to cross paths with."

Sparkplug and Spike tensed and stared at Mr. Argyrou incredulously. "You have seen it?" Sparkplug asked.

"Yes… and no," Mr. Argyrou said with a sigh. "Just let me explain."

And with that, the man started telling his own part of the story.

---------------

Beachcomber, Hound and Cliffjumper were still waiting by the entrance of the cave when Bumblebee came back. The yellow minibot looked pleased, holding a small six-wheeled mechanism in his hands. The mechanism itself was clicking happily and turning its tires, eager to be placed on the ground.

"Looks like Roller is ready for some exploring," Beachcomber commented.

"He sure is," Bumblebee said, finally putting the scout down. Roller made a couple of manoeuvres and settled between Hound and Cliffjumper, still whirring and clicking. "By the way, Wheeljack put in that recording box you asked of him."

"What recording box?" Cliffjumper asked curiously.

"It's just what the name implies, man," Beachcomber explained. He picked up Roller gently and he opened the front part of the small vehicle, so that he could show Cliffjumper a red box-like piece of equipment cabled on it. "This thing will register readings concerning the lava flows, like temperature, ground composition, humidity… you name it."

"Okay, but why?" the red minibot asked again.

"So that once Roller gathers all that information, I can download it to my databanks. In this way, I can create a holographic image of the caves."

"And we'll be able to see what's inside without actually getting in ourselves," Bumblebee concluded.

"You got that right," Hound said. "Roller will do all the hard work, but it's still a nice opportunity for him to stretch his circuitries, right, Roller?"

Roller made a small beeping sound resembling an affirmative. The other four Autobots chuckled, and Beachcomber patted him on the hood as he put him down on the ground again.

"Okay, that's your cue, bud," he said. "Watch out for the pointy rocks."

"And be careful not to run into any monsters in there," Bumblebee said with a tease.

Roller just whirred once and rolled inside. His clicking sounds echoed as he went deeper inside the caves, but they finally died down also.

It was Cliffjumper who broke the silence. "Well… has anyone got any interesting stories to tell while we wait?"

-----------------

"I found it ten years ago. There was a full moon and the sea was calm, so I ventured out on my fishing boat. Except that, against my better judgement, I rowed further away from my usual fishing haunts."

"Why would you want to do that?" Spike asked, not really understanding.

"I wanted to catch more fish," Mr. Argyrou said. "That way, I would be able to get more money in the market and so ask for my future wife's hand in marriage.

"But I stray. To cut a long story short, I arrived close to that island that you can see just across the harbour." Mr. Argyrou pointed to said direction, where the Witwickys could clearly see the island that the man was talking about. "That's where I threw my nets and, after some time, my boat was almost full with fish. I just needed to throw my nets one more time and I would call it a night.

"It was then that something hit my boat with such strength that the boat capsized and I found myself in the water. Since I didn't have any other choice, I swam towards the abandoned island. I could clearly see a cave, and I hoped that I would be able to step on the rocks there to get to safety.

"That was when I saw the Wreck. It was just a few metres under the surface of the water, so I saw it only too clearly; its silver plating shone brilliantly. However, I didn't have the time to look at it for long."

"Why? What happened?" Sparkplug asked.

Mr. Argyrou rubbed his forehead in discomfort. "That same something that hit my boat grabbed me and dragged me all the way to the shore."

"But, apparently, it didn't hurt you," Sparkplug noted, looking at Mr. Argyrou from head to toe.

"No. But I got so scared that I even swallowed some sea water and I started coughing. It didn't expect that, and it dropped me quite unceremoniously on the beach and started sniffing me. Finally, after it lost interest in me, it dived again in the water. I only managed to catch a glimpse of black as I turned around to watch it go."

"So how did you get back?" Spike asked.

"My brother, who was worried about me, found me the next day. Though he believed my story once I showed him the wreck, we couldn't find _it _anywhere."

"How did you know what to look for if you didn't see it?" Sparkplug insisted.

Mr. Argyrou shook his head. "I figured that a thing strong enough to lift me a metre from the ground and with teeth so sharp that they shredded my shirt beyond repair would be easy to find. I was wrong."

"So it hasn't shown itself again."

"No. But, every time I go fishing, I sense it watching me, merely tolerating my presence because I never did the mistake to test its patience again."

"Unlike your nephew," Sparkplug commented. "Did it hurt him?"

"I don't know. The only wound he had when Andreas brought him back was a large cut on his head," Mr. Argyrou said. "But, even if it didn't hurt him, it has nonetheless made its warning all too clear."

"Warning? What kind of warning?" Spike asked.

Mr. Argyrou swallowed hard.

"Stay away."

-------------

Optimus paced uneasily by the rail of the tanker, looking at his surroundings warily. He turned abruptly at the sound of a loud crash nearby, and he sighed when he realised that it was just barrels filled with oil banging together as the humans moved them about. He offered his assistance like it was expected from an Autobot leader, of course. But, even after that work was done, Optimus still couldn't get rid of that uncomfortable feeling that had settled within his spark… A feeling like he was being watched.

It was while he was trying to figure out why he should feel this way that his transmitter made the characteristic whistle of an incoming transmission. Optimus activated the communication frequencies.

"Prime, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Sparkplug," Optimus said. "What is it?"

"Spike and I just found out what the aliens could be looking for. Things are much worse than we thought," Sparkplug said.

Prime sighed. "I see. I'll tell Wheeljack and the others to call off the search for now, and you--"

He never finished his sentence, for piercing pain surged through his cranial unit. Optimus cried out before he could help it and, at the next moment, he was on his knees, holding his head with both hands.

"Prime? Prime, what's going on?" Sparkplug asked, realising that something wasn't right.

But Optimus couldn't answer, not while he was trying to somehow block the pain. Thankfully, Skyfire and the other Autobots heard the scream and rushed to help their leader at once. Mirage and Jazz helped Optimus up again, whereas Ratchet started scanning Optimus for any damage.

"Prime? What's wrong?" Sparkplug asked again.

"Go find the others at the craters… Hurry…" Optimus finally managed to say with difficulty. "Something's happened to Roller."

TBC…


	8. The Talk

Astrotrain was still travelling at fairly good speed, even though he had to carry most of the Decepticons in his alternate mode as a spacecraft. Megatron had ordered that Astrotrain got fuelled with the energon cubes the Hunter had filled himself so as to test their effectiveness, though Astrotrain himself wasn't so sure that that was such a good idea. As it turned out, however, that kind of energy proved not only powerful, but invigorating as well, and it wouldn't be long before the Decepticons arrived at the Greek Islands.

In the meantime, Starscream decided to examine the insignia he had recovered from the Hunter's shuttle. So, he was now sitting on a secluded spot, away from the others, staring at the golden-coloured item. To any other Decepticon, it would seem that he was just toying with a shiny piece of trinket in a bored manner, but it wasn't so. Starscream was actually searching his memory banks for any information concerning the insignia.

However, things were a lot more challenging than Starscream had expected. He had looked into almost everyf file, but he hadn't been able to find any definite answer. That meant he had to search much older files. Files that were dated before the final falling out of the Autobots and the Decepticons. Files that he had stored when he wasn't a Decepticon with aspirations of grandeur, but a simple scientist, exploring the dark depths of space.

And finally… he found it. Smiling at the prospect of success, he opened the file and started reading the information there.

In the next moment, Starscream felt like his jaw would drop on the floor in utter shock. If what he read was correct, then the Hunter was…

Starscream stood up at once. There was only one way to confirm things and, this time, he would make sure he got the truth out of the alien.

-------------------

When Sparkplug heard Prime's voice so strained on the transmitter, he knew that things were terribly wrong. Deciding that he should best comply with Optimus's order, he quickly ended the transmission and headed with Spike to the craters on top of the island. He hoped that Hound and the others would be able to tell him what was going on and what might have happened to Roller.

It didn't take long for the Witwickys to find the Autobot group. They were already waiting for their human friends, and they looked quite restless.

"Jazz radioed us and told us what happened," Hound explained, answering the humans' questioning look. "The bad thing is that Roller is inside the tunnels and we can't recover him."

Both Sparkplug and Spike's eyes widened at this. "Did you try to contact him?" Spike asked.

"Yeah. He's not responding, though," Beachcomber replied. "Either his transmitter is broken or he's offline."

"Not that either option is promising," Cliffjumper added with a shake of his head.

"Then we don't have a choice," Spike said. "Dad and I are the only ones small enough to get through the entrance of the cave, so we have to go and find him."

The Autobots looked at the young human incredulously, and Hound immediately voiced his objections.

"Absolutely not! We can't put either of your lives in danger!"

"What about Roller? He's in danger, too!"

"Ratchet can fix Roller, no matter what happens to him. But he can't do the same to you two," Cliffjumper pointed out.

"But--"

"I'm afraid they're right, son," Sparkplug said. "We can't just go in like this and start looking around blindly. Not when that _thing_ is probably in there."

Hound and the others didn't understand what Sparkplug was talking about, but Spike did. He opened his mouth to object; in the end, though, he didn't say anything. He knew he was defeated.

"It's okay, Spike. We know you want to help out," Bumblebee said, patting his friend on the shoulder. He turned to the others. "Still, there's got to be a way we can get in there and find Roller."

"There is, but I'm not sure if it will work," Beachcomber answered. "There is more than just one tunnel down there. If we find one large enough to fit at least us minibots, then we can--"

Beachcomber never finished his sentence, because it was then that a high-pitched screech filled the air. The Autobots and the Witwickys froze and exchanged a glance of confusion. In the next moment, Roller burst out of the cave at full speed, and the first thing he did was hide behind Hound's legs.

"Roller! You made it!" Cliffjumper exclaimed.

Roller just clicked and whirred, his sounds an odd mixture of fright and relief. Hound picked him up and patted him reassuringly, very much like a human would pat a scared dog.

"Easy, little guy. It's over now."

"I'll bet Optimus will be glad to see him," Bumblebee commented. He pointed at the mechanism in a scolding manner, though it was clear that the minibot was only teasing Roller good-naturedly. "You had Prime all worried."

"Nevertheless, it's a good thing that Prime and Roller are connected," Sparkplug noted. "The question now is: how are we supposed to know what happened to him in the tunnels?"

"Roller's recordings might be useful," Beachcomber said. "Hound will just have to download them to his own databanks."

"And, in the meantime, perhaps you can tell us what's that _thing _you mentioned," Hound said, regarding the humans curiously. "Jazz said that you found out what the aliens could be looking for."

"Yeah, we did; and it's not good news," Sparkplug said wryly. "You can hear all about it when we return to the tanker."

Hound and the others understood. They transformed and, once Spike and Sparkplug settled inside Bumblebee, they all drove off to the beach. From there, it would be easy to switch their tires to surfboards in order to cross the water and get back to their temporary headquarters.

Little did they realise that, within the shadows of the tunnel, a pair of yellow eyes watched them go, only to disappear moments later in the black veil of darkness.

----------------

Starscream found the Hunter alone, just like the Seeker had expected. Though Megatron considered the alien a temporary ally, it certainly didn't mean that the rest of the Decepticons were willing to show the same kind of trust. In fact, they constantly avoided the Hunter if they could help it.

On the other hand, the Hunter himself didn't mind that kind of cold behaviour toward his person. He was now sitting cross-legged on the floor with his eyes closed, like he was in some sort of meditation. He didn't give the impression that he had noticed Starscream, either. His expression was quite calm, almost serene.

That gave Starscream the opportunity to study the Hunter further. His optics focused on the black exoskeleton, scrutinising the material by which it was made. From what the Seeker could see, the ebony surface was formed by microscopic organic-like cells that served as armour for the alien body, but that wasn't the exoskeleton's only function. It also provided the Hunter with nutrition, for it could absorb solar energy and thus sustain the core in the centre of the Hunter's body.

However, Starscream still wasn't sure what purpose served the Hunter's unclad parts. His guess was that they were sensors so that the alien creature could perceive his surroundings, but also a means to let out excess energy or even use it on a mechanism.

Yes… So far it looked like the Seeker's information was pointing to the right direction. Even so, Starscream needed to be sure about matters.

"Do you intend to stand there and stare at me for long… Starscream, isn't it?"

Starscream blinked dumbly at the Hunter. The alien's eyes were still closed.

"How did you know it was me?" the Seeker asked before he could help it.

The Hunter smirked and finally locked his eyes on Starscream. "I could hear you a mile from here. So if you meant to surprise me, you chose the wrong tactic."

Starscream contemplated on that answer for a few moments. "I suppose so; you proved that with Laserbeak. That's what makes you good at your job, isn't it?"

"Among other things," the Hunter said simply.

"So…" Starscream asked, sounding quite nonchalant now, "You must have caught much game, too."

"No," the alien answered, surprisingly enough. "I'm only interested in one thing only."

"Oh?" Starscream fixed his gaze on the Hunter. "All this trouble for just one prey?"

This time, the Hunter frowned. "Not that it's any of your business, but let's just say I have to settle a score."

Starscream nodded in understanding. "I see." He paused for a moment, as if considering carefully what he should say next. "The desire for revenge is a very powerful thing."

"And I suppose you know a thing or two about it?" the Hunter asked almost contemptuously.

"Perhaps more than you think." The Seeker approached the alien boldly and settled next to him. "I wasn't always a warrior. I used to be a scientist, assigned to deep-space exploring with my best friend. That is, until things changed."

"Let me guess," the Hunter said. "He's no longer your best friend, is he?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

Starscream shrugged in a noncommittal manner. "He chose the other side. End of story."

"The Autobots?"

Starscream nodded.

The Hunter's gaze darkened at this, and he didn't speak again for some time. Nevertheless, Starscream didn't push things either. They were already going smoothly enough.

"Do you miss him?"

And now it was time for Starscream to make his move.

"Sometimes, whenever I remember some of our missions," he said. "You know, there was hardly any part of the galaxy that we had left unexplored."

"Indeed?" the Hunter inquired politely.

"Yes," Starscream said. "We had even gone as far as the G-20 quadrant, one of the strangest places I've ever seen. And the species we met there had even stranger things to tell us."

Starscream understood that he had got the Hunter's undivided attention by the way the alien looked at him. "What kind of things?"

"Stories about a race so powerful that it was never defeated in battle. Each member of that race could kill many adversaries before they were finally put down, but their true strength lied in numbers. Because then they were simply unstoppable, annihilating everything on their path." Starscream paused for a moment. "Have you ever heard of them?"

The alien's jaw tightened. "I might have."

"Really?" Starscream's optics narrowed. "It's strange that you just _might _have heard of them, when the insignia I recovered from your ship matches with theirs. So what exactly do you want here… Sadjen?"

That seemed to be the final straw for the alien, for he stood up and glared at Starscream.

"Like I said, that's _my _business, Decepticon. And you'd better remember that, or you'll find out how easily I can kill _you. _And something tells me you won't be missed, either."

And with that, he walked out, not caring to see Starscream's startled expression.

But, though Starscream hadn't expected that kind of outburst, he also smirked in triumph.

After all, the Sadjen could prove very useful.

Very useful indeed.

-----------------

In a quarter of an hour, the Witwickys, Hound and the Minibots had returned to the tanker, where Jazz and the others were already waiting for them and helped them aboard. Even Optimus Prime was there, now fully recovered from the pain that surged through him when he felt Roller was under attack.

That gave Spike and Sparkplug the opportunity to tell their friends about the strange tale they heard in Mr. Argyrou's _taverna_. So, they stood in the centre of the temporary control room and started talking, whereas the Autobots sat around them and listened with utmost attention to everything the humans had to say.

The first one to speak as soon as Sparkplug finished his tale was Brawn, who snorted gruffly.

"Well, that's bad news for the Autobots."

"It appears so," Prime commented with the shake of his head. He turned to Hound. "Hound, did you download the recordings from Roller's memory banks? We may be able to get a glimpse of the creature."

Roller clicked in what could only be described a sad manner. Hound sighed.

"I tried to, but I'm afraid I have more bad news. The most recent data has been deleted somehow."

"Oh no," Bumblebee exclaimed. "How did that happen?"

"Well, I got a feelin' that somethin' big and short-tempered was responsible for it," Jazz said.

"I don't know," Cliffjumper said. "If that were true, we would have heard its roar, right?"

"I can't see any damage on Roller at first glance," Mirage commented, leaning close to the mechanism to have a closer look.

"I'll be the judge of that," Ratchet declared, already picking up Roller in his arms. "As soon as Wheeljack and I find out what's wrong with him, we'll let you know."

"All right," Optimus said. "Meanwhile, the rest of us should go to the Wreck and investigate matters further."

"Can I come, Optimus?" Spike asked. "I want to see it too."

"Count me in, as well," Sparkplug said.

"Very well. But I want you both to stay close to Bumblebee at all hours," Optimus said. "Autobots, time to roll out."

None of the Autobots had to be told twice; they followed Prime outside without question.

------------------------

Megatron turned around at the sound of a door hissing open, only to cast a contemptuous glare at the newcomer.

"What do you want, Starscream?"

"Only to have a word with you, mighty leader," the second-in-command said, keeping his hands up in a gesture of peace.

Megatron's optics reflected his frowning expression. Nevertheless, curiosity obviously got the better of him and he just returned his gaze to Astrotrain's monitors.

"Just be quick about it," was all that he said.

It was good enough for Starscream. He walked up to Megatron, regarding him intently.

"Do you know what creature it is you plan on tricking?"

"Should it matter?" Megatron asked.

"I'm afraid so, Megatron," Starscream replied. "For one thing, he is hardly just a hunter as he claims to be. He is a Sadjen – part of an alien race notorious for its cruelty in warfare."

Megatron smirked. "If what you say is true, then the prize must be a weapon of sorts; all the more reason for us to steal it and use it against the Autobots."

"A fair plan without a doubt, brave Megatron," Starscream admitted. "However, you must also know that getting rid of the Sadjen might not be as easy as you think. His race is quite vindictive, never letting go of a grudge no matter how many years pass." The second-in-command shook his head dramatically. "He might go after us when he realises we double-crossed him – he might even go after _you._"

But Megatron waved his hand dismissively. "We will deal with that problem when the time comes. And then, the Sadjen will taste the mercilessness of the Decepticons. Is that understood, Starscream?"

"Perfectly, Megatron," the Seeker replied, and turned on his heel to walk out of the control room.

He didn't want Megatron to notice him smile wickedly as a plan started forming in his mind.

_TBC…_


	9. The Wreck

It didn't take long for Starscream to find the Sadjen again; the alien had simply gone to another room as soon as their 'conversation' had ended. However, Starscream was surprised to see that the Sadjen wasn't calm now. The humanoid creature was acting more like a wild animal in a cage, pacing up and down and his eyes revealing nothing but hatred.

He directed that same look at Starscream the moment that the Seeker stepped into the room. And when he spoke, his voice resembled a growl.

"What do you want now?"

"Only to tell you that we'll reach the Greek Islands in less than an hour," Starscream said quite innocently. "You should get ready for landing."

The Sadjen's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Thank you for your concern. You can leave now."

Starscream just shrugged and made a motion as though to walk out, but he stopped midway as if he remembered something important. He faced the alien creature again.

"There's something I've been wondering, Sadjen."

If looks could kill, Starscream would have been dead on the spot. "We're done with questions."

"I don't think so," Starscream said. "Did you ever stop to think what to do once you've settled matters here?"

The Sadjen snorted. "Don't worry. I'll be off you and your precious leader's back as soon as my job is done."

"I see," Starscream noted. "It's a shame, really. The Decepticons could use someone of your skill."

"I'm not interested. I work alone," the Sadjen said.

Starscream heaved a melodramatic sigh. "Pity. I suppose it's for the best, though. You don't have to worry about anyone backstabbing you." He paused for a moment. "You've already risked enough by confiding in Megatron."

All feelings of resentment vanished from the green eyes and were replaced with confusion. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Starscream smiled _almost _sweetly. "Precisely what it means."

And with that, the Seeker walked out, leaving a very troubled Sadjen behind.

Perfect.

--------------------

Roller clicked worriedly for a moment when he saw Ratchet approaching him with an energy gauge. Understanding Roller's fear, the medic shushed the mechanism in a reassuring manner so that he could start working.

Meanwhile, the rest of the scientific Autobot group hardly remained idle. Perceptor was transformed in his microscope mode, examining Roller's plating. Wheeljack ran a scanner on Roller's systems in order to find any malfunctioning circuitries. As for Skyfire, he waited patiently to collect the data and store them in his files, aware than any kind of information could be useful.

"Hmm… Very unusual…" Perceptor mused.

Wheeljack nodded, his optics still locked on the scanner. "I agree."

"I've never seen anything like this before," Ratchet said.

"What did you discover?" Skyfire asked tensely. "What is wrong with Roller?"

Wheeljack's speakers flashed brightly. "Everything and nothing."

Skyfire blinked in surprise. "I'm not sure I follow."

"Just check this out," Wheeljack said, showing the Valkyrie the readings on the monitor. "According to this, the temperature on Roller's systems has increased."

Skyfire's features clouded into a frown. "So I see. It _is _strange."

"Yup. Even so, Roller wasn't all that much affected."

"And then there's the matter of those tiny scratches near Roller's tires," Perceptor said. "At first, I thought they were caused by the precarious terrain Roller had to traverse. However, further analysis has shown specks of cells clinging to those scratches, and their composition is unlike anything of this world."

"So our suspicions were true: this unknown underground creature that Spike and Sparkplug told us about caught Roller," Skyfire said.

"Indeed," Perceptor said. "Although I'm not sure how can that be connected to the deletion of Roller's memory banks."

"Actually," Ratchet said, sounding quite troubled, "I was wondering what's responsible for these readings on the energy gauge."

Unsure what to make of that statement, the three other mechs looked at the readings Ratchet was now showing them. At the next moment, their optics widened tenfold.

"Ratchet… are you sure about these numbers?" Perceptor asked.

"I triple-checked them. There's no mistake," Ratchet replied.

"But that means Roller's energy level has practically hit the roof!" Wheeljack exclaimed.

"I know. But I'm telling you, there's no question about it. The numbers are correct."

"Could the creature have something to do with that?" Skyfire wondered.

"We'll just have to find out. I'm going to contact Optimus," Wheeljack said, already opening his communication frequencies.

------------------------

Hound stood on the edge of the barren island close to Santorini. The waves hit his legs rhythmically with a loud crashing sound, and he was giving the impression that he was simply enjoying the scenery. However, that was certainly not the case.

"Did your scanners pick up anything, Hound?" Optimus asked, walking up to the jeep.

"Nothing but the wreck itself, Prime," Hound answered. "Brawn can dive without having to worry about the creature."

"Good," Optimus said, and then he turned to Jazz and Mirage. "Is the monitor set up?"

"I just need to connect one last cable to the generator… There!" Mirage said, quite pleased. "We're all set, Prime."

"Same here," Brawn said, already strapping the camera on his helm. "Just give me the signal."

"Go," Optimus said with a nod. "But be careful. If you come across the creature, don't provoke it in any way. We don't know what it's capable of."

"Unless it wants to give us a demonstration," Jazz noted.

"I just won't stick around to watch," Brawn said with a smirk. Moments later, he vanished underneath the blue surface and Jazz turned on the surveillance monitor.

"We've got visual," the saboteur declared. Indeed, Brawn's camera was working, showing everything that the minibot could see.

"Let me know when he reaches the wreck," Optimus said before looking around to see what everyone else was up to. Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were standing guard at the opposite sides of the island, just like Prime had ordered them to, whereas the Witwickys stayed close to the yellow minibot. Lastly, Beachcomber was holding in his palm some sand, and he was examining it quite thoroughly.

"What did you find, Beachcomber?" Optimus asked curiously.

"Something I didn't expect," Beachcomber admitted. He faced the Autobot leader and pointed at the sand. "The whole island is filled with tephra, but that's only natural; we're on a volcanic area. Even so, my readings indicate that there are several places throughout the island that have been covered _repeatedly _with tephra which dates back up to ten years."

"Yet the last eruption occurred thirty years ago," Optimus noted.

"Yeah. But that's not all," Beachcomber said. "Those tephra-covered areas are small – too small to be the product of a volcanic eruption. In fact, they look like remnants of mild combustions."

Optimus couldn't help but feel intrigued now, because he realised what Beachcomber was implying.

"You believe there's a connection with the creature," he said.

Beachcomber nodded. "We know that the creature's been living here for the last ten years at least," he said. "That's not a coincidence for sure. And that's why I'm beginning to suspect something else."

"What is it?" Optimus asked.

The minibot stored a sample of the sand in subspace and dusted his palms to rid himself of the grain that still clung stubbornly on his plating. "Tephra is mostly composed of silicon dioxide. Silicon is very close to carbon when it comes to certain properties – including becoming the basis of life."

"But not on Earth," Optimus said.

Beachcomber nodded again, something that made Optimus scratch his chin in thought.

"I'll contact Skyfire," the Autobot leader finally said. "He might be able to tell us more."

"Right."

It was then that Optimus's transmitter let out the familiar sound of an incoming message. Surprised, Optimus opened his communication frequencies.

"Go ahead."

"This is Wheeljack, Optimus," the voice on the other side of the link said. "We've just finished examining Roller."

"And what did you come up with?" Optimus asked.

"That Roller wasn't alone in the tunnels," Wheeljack answered. "Perceptor found traces of silicon-based elements, while Ratchet and I found Roller's temperature and energy levels high. Way high."

Beachcomber and Optimus exchanged a brief look at this news.

"Prime, do you read?" Wheeljack asked; he obviously didn't expect that kind of silence.

"Loud and clear," Optimus said. "Is Skyfire with you?"

"Yup. He can hear you," the engineer said.

"Good. Skyfire, what can you tell me about advanced silicon-based life-forms?"

"I see you're suspecting the same thing," Skyfire answered. "I can tell you this: they're very rare, and I have very little information about them stored in my databanks. Even so, I've still managed to narrow down the identity of the creature to three possible matches."

"What are they?"

"The first one is--"

"Prime, you'd better come and look at this!" Jazz called out at that moment, his optics locked on the monitor.

"Hold on a second, Skyfire," Optimus said. He placed the transmission on hold and walked up to Jazz. "Tell me."

Jazz simply pointed at the screen, where the wreck was clearly visible in its watery prison.

------------------------

"Astrotrain to Megatron. Come in, Megatron."

Megatron pressed the speaker button. "Report, Astrotrain. Are we close to the Greek Islands?"

"Affirmative," Astrotrain answered. "But my scanners have also picked up Autobot activity on the very island we're heading to."

Megatron rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That means the Autobots are aware of the weapon we're looking for," he mused. "How many are there, Astrotrain?"

"I scanned eight of them out in the open. Two fleshlings are with them."

"Really?" The Decepticon leader's lips tugged to a calculating smirk. "Then we should greet them properly." He pressed another button on Astrotrain's controls, and gave out orders for the Decepticons to prepare for battle. But he never saw the Sadjen watching him from the shadows, a very displeased expression on his flesh-like features.

------------------------

"It doesn't look any bigger than an escape pod," Mirage commented, regarding the shuttle curiously.

"And a very badly broken one at that," Beachcomber said. He pointed at the hull of the ship. "Look at the size of that crack."

"No wonder the pilot got stranded here," Jazz said with a shake of his head. "I think Sunstreaker was right. There should be a club for alien crash-landers."

"But where is the pilot himself?"

It was Optimus who asked that question. And the others noticed just how thoughtful their leader had become.

"Maybe the creature had something to do with it," Hound ventured. "There could have been a struggle inside the shuttle and it killed everyone inside. That would explain the rough landing."

"Perhaps," Optimus mused. "Or…" His voice trailed off and he spoke to his transmitter instead. "Skyfire, do you have a visual of the shuttle?"

"I'm seeing it right now; Wheeljack has just set up another monitor," Skyfire said. "But I'm afraid I can't recognise the shuttle's type. There are no distinguishing marks on it."

"Hold on," Optimus said, and he pressed a button on the control panel. "Brawn, give us an image of the shuttle from all angles."

"Sure thing," Brawn transmitted. Moments later, Brawn was swimming again, providing a good view of the shuttle.

"Hold it! What's that on the starboard side?" Skyfire exclaimed suddenly.

Optimus and the others leaned forward to see that there was indeed a yellow-coloured insignia embedded on the plating.

"Brawn, zoom in."

Brawn complied. At the next moment, Optimus and the others could clearly see that it was a sort of ideogram.

"Skyfire, do you recognise it?" Optimus asked.

"Yes. It even matches with what my list has come up with so far." Surprisingly enough, Skyfire sounded almost awed. "But I never thought I would see proof of _their_ existence. I've only heard of them in stories."

"What are they, Skyfire?" Optimus was quite tense now, and he didn't bother hiding it anymore.

"I heard about them in the G-20 quadrant from an alien race called Merkeesans, and they described them as ruthless killers. Their name was--"

But it was then that Skyfire got cut off, for Cliffjumper's voice rang through the air.

"Decepticons at twelve o' clock!"

Everybody turned around. Megatron and the rest of his troops were indeed exiting from Astrotrain… and they aimed their weapons at the Autobots.

"Decepticons! Attack!"

_TBC..._


	10. The Battle

"Autobots, fight back!" Optimus shouted. He got his rifle out of subspace and started firing.

"Just what we needed! As if things weren't bad enough without the Decepti-goons on our backs!" Cliffjumper exclaimed, already firing at Reflector.

"Rumble, Frenzy: Attack," Soundwave's voice sounded above the ruckus of laserfire. The cassetticons ejected out of Soundwave's chest plate and started firing as well.

"Looks to me we're becoming overcrowded," Hound noted grimly. He dodged Thundercracker's rays on time, but he didn't notice Skywarp materialising next to him until it was almost too late. However, Skywarp just crashed on the ground, his chest plate on fire.

"What the--?" Hound exclaimed.

In the next moment, Mirage appeared in front of the scout, the barrel of his gun still smoking.

Hound grinned. "Thanks!"

"Thank me when this is over!" Mirage answered before turning invisible again.

Meanwhile, Beachcomber was having problems of his own. Ramjet had managed to shoot the minibot's gun off his hand, rendering him completely vulnerable.

"Ready to beg for mercy, mini-runt?" the Decepticon asked gleefully. He flexed his fingers at the prospect of a good beating.

Beachcomber didn't say anything. He just placed his hands over his audio receptors.

"What's the matter?" Ramjet asked with a laugh. "Is the poor mini-runt scared of the big--?"

He regretted his gloating. Jazz, who was behind the flier the whole time, activated his woofers, and Ramjet writhed in agony as the audio-piercing music made his cranial unit ache. A few well-measured kicks later, Jazz had knocked the flier unconscious and let him fall on the ground with a loud crash.

"No, man. Just sensible," Beachcomber declared, then high-fived the saboteur with a smile.

However, things started looking bad for the Autobots. Rumble lunged at Cliffjumper and started using his pile-drivers on the red minibot's chest. Mirage saved Cliffjumper, but he got injured in the process as well. As for Bumblebee, he was trying his hardest to keep any enemy fire away from Spike and Sparkplug.

"Quick, get behind those set of rocks! Hurry!" he cried, already prodding the humans to take cover.

"What about you guys?" Spike exclaimed.

"We don't have time for this, Spike! You've got to--"

"Bumblebee! To your left flank!"

Optimus's warning came too late. Dirge's blast hit Bumblebee on his mid-section. Clutching his left side in pain, Bumblebee staggered forward and toppled over the edge of the cliff next to him.

"NOOO!"

Spike's scream was covered by the loud splash Bumblebee made as he impacted with the water. Spike sprang forward, but Sparkplug held him back in fear that his son would also fall over.

"Bumblebee!" With optics widening in shock, Optimus got ready to dive after the yellow minibot to save him; yet Megatron's voice stopped him on his tracks.

"Don't move or you're vaporised, Prime."

Optimus complied, but not before he turned around and glared at the Decepticon leader. "That was a big mistake, Megatron."

"No. More like an act of mercy. At least Bumblebee won't share _your _fate, Optimus Prime, if you and the other Autobots don't put down your weapons."

Optimus looked around, assessing the situation. Cliffjumper and Mirage were already at gunpoint, while Hound and Beachcomber were practically surrounded. To make things worse, Dirge was now holding Spike and Sparkplug in his hands, ready to crush them at Megatron's order.

No. Optimus could afford sacrificing himself, but not anyone else. So he reached to a decision he didn't like at all.

"Cease fire."

Jazz turned to Optimus, optics staring at the Autobot leader incredulously underneath the blue visor. "But, Prime…"

"Do as I say, Jazz," Optimus insisted firmly. "They've won this round."

"Indeed, we have," Megatron said, watching with quite the satisfaction as the Autobots dropped their weapons one by one. "And once we get what we came here for, we'll win the war as well."

"What are you planning this time, Megatron?"

Megatron smirked. "Funny sort of question coming from you, Optimus Prime. After all, you are here for the same reason obviously." He paused, looking hard at his archenemy. "Now answer me this, Prime: did you recover it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Megatron."

That was an answer that Megatron didn't like at all. "You aren't in a position to play games with me, Prime! I'm talking about the alien weapon that's been lying under these waters!"

Optimus looked at the Decepticon leader unwaveringly. "There's no alien weapon here, Megatron. I suggest you leave now."

"Never!" Not wishing to accept defeat, Megatron turned to his troops. "Soundwave, start scanning the area. Thundercracker, bring the Sadjen before me at once."

"Yes, Megatron," both Decepticons replied. Soundwave walked at the edge of the cliff and activated his scanners, whereas Thundercracker flew towards Astrotrain, who was hovering over the island.

Megatron, however, was far from finished. That much was clear as he turned again to Optimus.

"As for you, Optimus Prime, you _will _tell me what you've found, or _they_," and at that, Megatron gave Dirge the signal to tighten his grip on Spike and Sparkplug, "will be the first to pay the consequences of your foolish nobility."

Optimus clenched both his hands into fists at the sight of his human friends squirming in pain. Nevertheless, he knew he had run out of options.

"Very well, Megatron. I'll tell you."

"A wise choice, Prime," Megatron said. "Dirge… release the humans."

Dirge cocked his head, only to smile cruelly as he dropped the humans over the cliff. Both father and son's screams filled the air as they vanished from view.

"No!" Optimus cried.

Megatron lifted his fusion cannon. "It's too late for them, Prime, but you can still save the others. So talk."

"I've already told you there's no weapon, Megatron!" Optimus answered, feeling his anger building up. "The one thing that _is_ down there has a mind of its own!"

"Really?" Megatron said, quite intrigued. He opened his communication frequencies. "Thundercracker, where is the Sadjen?"

"Megatron, I looked everywhere, but… he's gone."

"He--?"

Megatron didn't have the luxury to wonder about matters for long. A pair of grey arms appeared right beneath Soundwave and dragged the Decepticon spy over the cliff. Soundwave's cry of surprise got muffled as he fell into the water.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Megatron exclaimed furiously.

"That," Brawn said, climbing up with Spike and Sparkplug settled safe and sound on his shoulders, "is called reinforcements."

As soon as those words flowed out of the tough minibot's lip components, more laserfire sounded from high above – Skyfire's laserfire. Astrotrain tried to avoid the blasts, but it was of no use. Thundercracker barely made it outside before the triple changer got hit and crashed on most of the Decepticons.

That was the perfect opportunity for Ratchet, Perceptor and Wheeljack to jump out of Skyfire. Ratchet started firing at the Decepticons with two guns, offering cover as all three Autobots landed among their companions. When Perceptor touched the ground, he changed to his cannon mode and fired at Dirge, and Wheeljack used his magnetic disruptor on Rumble and Frenzy to throw the cassetticons off balance.

"Autobots! Let them have it!" Optimus cried out, and he grabbed his own rifle.

None of the Autobots had to be told twice. Even Cliffjumper and Mirage joined the fight, firing their own weapons.

Megatron cursed loudly and fired his fusion cannon, but he didn't manage to hit anything.

"Megatron, we must leave!" Starscream shouted. He was one of the few Decepticons that were left undamaged, and he was firing every which way without much success. "The Autobots are too many!"

The Decepticon leader growled his dismay and shook his fist violently. "We've been cheated of our victory, but the war is far from over! Decepticons, fall into the water!"

And with that, Megatron lunged into the sea. Though the order was strange, none of the Decepticons dared question it. One by one, they followed Megatron's example and dived as well.

"Ha! We've got them on the run!" Cliffjumper exclaimed happily, leaning on Beachcomber for support.

But Optimus didn't share Cliffjumper's optimism at all. In fact, a terrible suspicion started crawling up his spinal axis.

"No… not on the run," he mused in realisation. "Megatron is going after the creature!" In the next moment, he sprinted forward.

"Prime, wait!"

Optimus didn't listen to Jazz though. He just dived into the water and swam after the Decepticons. He saw them reaching the Wreck, then join Soundwave and enter a cave that was beneath the broken shuttle. Optimus held up his rifle and got ready to fire.

He never got the chance. Megatron transformed into his gun mode and Starscream grabbed his leader by the handle, firing at the entrance of the cave. Optimus had to stop swimming, or he would get caught at the falling rumble and risk himself an injury. He could only watch as the entrance got sealed, one thought crossing his processor.

If something wasn't done soon, Megatron would get what he wanted.

---------------------

"The job is done, just as you ordered, Megatron," Starscream said, letting the gun go.

"Excellent," Megatron said, and he transformed to his robot mode. "That should slow the Autobots enough till we get our prize."

"There's still the matter of the Sadjen, Megatron," Starscream pointed out. "It's perfectly obvious that he abandoned us so as to find his precious prey first."

"Oh, I have other plans for that traitor," the Decepticon leader replied indignantly before turning to Soundwave. "Soundwave, send Buzzsaw ahead to scout a path for us. We're swimming on."

"Yes, Megatron," Soundwave said, already pressing the eject button so that the yellow bird of prey would come out of his chest-plate. Buzzsaw squawked only once, then quickly swam downwards and disappeared through another tunnel. The Decepticons followed the robotic vulture close behind, trusting him to guide them to safer, drier set of tunnels.

------------------

"I don't see him!" Spike said, trying to catch a glimpse of Optimus Prime underneath the water. "You don't think the Decepticons could have--?"

"Hold on, I'm picking up his energy signature," Hound said at that moment. "He's coming up!"

"That means it's time for me to lend a hand," Jazz said. He subspaced his right hand to get out a grappling hook, which he threw as far away as possible. "Let's hope it's my lucky fishin' day!"

Apparently, it was. As soon as the grappling hook touched the water, Jazz jerked forward as though he caught something big. And, indeed, Optimus Prime came up on the surface, holding the cable with both hands.

"Hold on, Prime! You'll be out in no time!" Jazz cried.

The saboteur proved true to his word. A few moments later, Optimus stepped once again on dry land, panting slightly.

"Thank you, Jazz," he said, "But I'm afraid our problems are far from over. The Decepticons have sealed our only entrance to a set of underwater tunnels that lead to the creature. We need to get in there as fast as possible."

"No problem," Wheeljack declared. "I'll have an explosive mechanism ready in a jiffy."

"Which means I should patch you guys up," Ratchet said, looking at Cliffjumper and Mirage. "There's no way I'm letting you get salty water all over your wounds."

Cliffjumper and Mirage nodded their understanding and sat down so that Ratchet could start working on them. They knew better than arguing with the medic, after all.

And yet, there was one more thing that still troubled the group.

"Prime?" Spike asked. "What about Bumblebee?"

Optimus shook his head. "I tried to look for him everywhere, Spike. I couldn't find him."

"That's bad, man," Beachcomber noted and shook his head. "The water currents must have carried him away."

"Affirmative," Optimus said. "The question now is: where?"

----------------------

The first thing that Bumblebee registered was his optics coming online once more. He was quite surprised to find himself lying on the ground and looking at what appeared to be the jagged roof of a cavern, while his legs were half-submerged in water.

Curiosity overwhelming him, he made a motion to push himself upward, but the searing pain that started from his left side and coursed through him was proof enough that _that _was a bad idea.

It was then that his memories finally caught up with him. He was in battle, when he suddenly felt himself fall and everything span out of control… and then everything went dark.

Yet the most important question remained unanswered. Where was he now?

Clenching his jaw at the effort, Bumblebee managed to crawl away from the small bank where he had ended up. He pushed himself into a sitting position and, shutting his sensors off the pain that started surging through him again, he rested his back against a nearby stalagmite. He turned on his headlights to check his surroundings. There was nothing to see except tunnels upon tunnels… and a small trail of fluid, marking the distance he had to crawl minutes before.

_His _fluid.

With optics widening in realisation, Bumblebee quickly checked his wound. There was a gaping hole in his plating, and several circuitries were fried as well. Worse, those same circuitries were damaged further because of all the salty water that entered his system. And the worst part was that several of his fluid tubes had been severed too, making him bleed quite badly.

"Oh no…" The first thing that crossed through the minibot's mind was that Ratchet was going to kill him when he saw that.

However, Bumblebee quickly remembered that neither Ratchet nor the rest of the Autobots could possibly know where he was. They were bound to search for him in the bottom of the sea, not in a Primus-forsaken cave.

So how were they supposed to find him?

Seeing only one way out of his predicament, Bumblebee activated his transmitter.

"Bumblebee to Optimus. Come in, Opt--"

The only thing that Bumblebee heard was static noise.

"Blast it," the minibot muttered under his breath. "Can things get any worse?"

Bumblebee soon regretted his words, for he heard a low rumble echoing through the cavern. He instinctively froze, his gaze drifting in every direction as he fervently tried to determine where that noise came from.

"H-hello?" he faltered before he could help it.

He didn't get an answer. Not one that he liked anyway. A series of footfalls reverberated through a tunnel just ahead of him and, a few moments later, Bumblebee saw in the shadows a pair of yellow, flickering lights; a pair of lights that he knewthey could only be eyes.

_TBC…_


	11. The Creature

Buzzsaw burst out of the watery surface with a loud splashing sound. Ridding himself of the excess water with a couple of back flips, he finally perched on a small rock nearby so as to wait for the rest of the Decepticons.

He didn't have to wait for long. Soundwave was the first to step out, followed close behind by Megatron and everyone else.

"Buzzsaw, return," Soundwave commanded, already opening his tape deck.

Complying, the yellow bird of prey transformed and entered his chest.

"Ugh, I hate the water," Dirge noted mournfully. "Couldn't that weapon be at the top of a mountain or something?"

"Diving in here was a bad idea," Astrotrain noted. "The water has short-circuited some of my relays."

"Let's just hope this prize of ours is worth all this trouble," Thundercracker seconded.

"Silence," Megatron snapped, casting an angry glare at his subordinates before turning back to Soundwave. "What have you been able to detect so far, Soundwave?"

"Nothing, Megatron," the spy answered.

"Really?" Starscream said, eyeing Soundwave intently. "What about the Sadjen?"

"Negative," Soundwave replied. "The Sadjen must have a way of covering his energy signal at will."

"No matter. He only postpones the inevitable," Megatron said. "Once we get our prize, the Sadjen will be the first one to taste its power."

"Provided he doesn't find it first, oh wise Megatron," Starscream said.

"Then we'll take it by force!"

"And that would work but for one thing."

"And what is that?" Megatron asked, regarding his second-in-command in a wary manner.

Starscream shook his head with a dramatic air. "I have reasons to believe that the only reason the Sadjen wants to find his prey is so that he can terminate it. I suggest you'd better start searching."

Megatron clenched his jaw, but he didn't snap back at Starscream. It was clear he saw the Seeker's point, so he turned to the other Decepticons instead.

"Decepticons! Separate into teams!" he commanded. "There will be extra energon for whoever finds our prize first!"

Everyone obeyed at once. Soundwave set off with Rumble, Frenzy and Dirge; Megatron with Blitzwing and Astrotrain; Thundercracker with Skywarp and Reflector; and Starscream ended up with Ramjet and Thrust.

Not that Starscream would have it any other way. If anything, it made things easier for him.

"Working in groups is such a setback," he said, heaving a great sigh. "One can work faster alone and without having to share any extra energon."

"Megatron's orders were clear," Ramjet said. "We should stay together."

"Ha! Megatron uses caution when the circumstances call for haste!" Starscream said. "If the Sadjen gets the prize first, the first ones that our generous leader will blame for not being fast enough will be us."

"That's true," Ramjet noted with a wince.

"So why should we have to suffer through that if we can avoid it?" Starscream reasoned. "I don't know about you, but I don't think Megatron will object to our disobedience once we bring him his… gift."

"Yeah…" Thrust said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He elbowed Ramjet. "Come on, let's split up. You heard what Starscream said. We'll move faster."

Ramjet's optics reflected his frowning expression. Nevertheless, he soon relented.

"Very well," he said. "Let the best tracker win."

And with that, Ramjet and Thrust left, each in a different direction. Starscream smirked as he watched the two fliers go, a single thought crossing his mind.

_Pathetic fools._

After all, Starscream wasn't interested in finding the prize first for Megatron's sake, or for a little more energon. He wanted to find the weapon for himself. For when Megatron and the Sadjen blamed each other for the missing trophy… _he_ would use it against both of them, thus establishing himself as the new leader of the Decepticons.

Smiling at the deviousness of his plan, Starscream set off as well… unaware that he was being watched.

--------------------------

Bumblebee knew beyond any doubt what was approaching him. Fingers feeling their way to his right, the minibot slowly tried to reach for his laser gun, but he was out of luck. He obviously lost it when he fell into the water.

The minibot was now seriously alarmed. He was trapped, and there was nothing he could do about it except wait for the moment the creature came out of the shadows and lunged at him for the kill.

And then… _it_ stepped into the light.

Bumblebee had to admit that he had never before seen a creature like the one that was walking toward him now. It resembled Ravage at first sight, yet there was definitely more to it; though black, its skin wasn't metallic. Moreover, the creature had a pair of small nostrils, and its ears were barely visible on its ebony head. Its legs where thick, its front and hind ones connected with a loose membranous material very much like a flying squirrel's legs, while sharp claws scratched slightly the ground as the creature walked. And the minibot could only stare at the sheer size of the creature; for, though it was about his height, it was certainly much longer than him, with a lizard-like tail that gently swayed to and fro.

It was a very strange animal, but also beautiful, in a way. However, Bumblebee was also aware that said beautiful animal could easily make short work of him, especially now that he was injured and helpless in its lair. That was unsettling, to say the least.

Still, the creature didn't appear eager to attack any time soon. In fact, it seemed as curious about Bumblebee as Bumblebee was about the creature itself. The yellow minibot could easily read the questioning look that was reflected in the feral, yet expressional eyes, as the creature circled him.

_It's probably figuring out where it should sink its teeth first, _Bumblebee thought wryly.

Surprisingly, the creature ended up standing in front of Bumblebee, yellow eyes locked on blue optics and regarding him with quite the scrutiny. And just when Bumblebee thought that he was unwillingly participating in a staring contest, the creature leaned forward and started sniffing him.

"Hey! That tickles!" Bumblebee exclaimed, trying to get away from that unrelenting muzzle. He doubled over and clutched himself as his squirming proved quite painful, but he couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably.

The creature drew its head back, looking even more puzzled. When its gaze drifted on Bumblebee's wound though, the creature's expression became quite thoughtful, and it lowered its head to nuzzle Bumblebee's palm.

Bumblebee blinked, unsure what to make of that motion. And he was even more perplexed when the animal nipped his arm lightly with razor-sharp fangs that barely left a scratch on him.

The creature finally sidled up to him, and Bumblebee understood what was going on. Wondering at the offer but deciding to accept it nonetheless, Bumblebee wrapped his arm around the creature's long neck and brought himself back into a sitting position.

"Err… thanks," he said uncertainly. He drew his hand back, patting the black neck absentmindedly as he did so.

Though the creature stiffened, it still regarded Bumblebee in the same calm, questioning manner. That was something that made Bumblebee more than just nervous, and the only reason that he wasn't panicking was the fact that, if the creature had wanted to harm him, it would have done so already.

That by itself was a curiosity. Why didn't it attack? Not that Bumblebee complained really. Still, it didn't make sense.

Just then, Bumblebee remembered what Spike and Sparkplug had said: the creature attacked only when it felt threatened. That probably meant Bumblebee didn't prove that much of a threat to the creature.

The minibot didn't know whether he should feel relieved or disappointed.

He looked up at the creature again. It was sitting on its hind legs now, still studying him. It was strange, but Bumblebee actually caught himself wondering if it was expecting something from him.

Bumblebee groaned mentally in frustration. He wished Hound or Beachcomber was with him. The minibot was sure that those two would know what to do, for they knew a lot about animals and how to handle them.

It was at that moment that the thought crossed his mind. Why couldn't _he_ try out _their_ approach? It was with that thought that he boldly extended his hand in the creature's direction, whereas his voice became soft and reassuring.

"It's okay… I'm not gonna hurt you."

The creature's eyes widened slightly, reflecting the animal's confusion. Bumblebee didn't know if that was a good sign or not; nevertheless, he kept speaking in the same soft tone, his hand getting closer to the creature's head.

At the next instant, his fingers stroked the black forehead.

There was no reaction. Not even when he patted the creature a second time; then a third… until Bumblebee was downright petting it.

The creature half-closed its eyes dreamily, a purr-like rumble emanating from its throat.

"What do you know," Bumblebee noted with a chuckle before he could help it. "You're just an oversized kitty."

At the next moment, the creature regarded him with an affronted look that could only be interpreted as an answer to Bumblebee's presumptuousness.

Bumblebee stared at the creature incredulously. It couldn't be.

Could it?

"Did you just… understand me?"

The creature looked at Bumblebee for a moment, contemplating matters; then slowly nodded.

In all honesty, Bumblebee didn't know what to think. It had become quite obvious that he wasn't dealing with some kind of mindless beast as he had thought at first, but with an intelligent being. And now he realised what the creature wanted to know as it still regarded him curiously.

_Who are you?_

Bumblebee pointed at himself.

"I'm Bumblebee. A Cybertronian," he said. His index finger touched his insignia. "I'm an Autobot."

The creature nodded once more before one of its front claws touched Bumblebee's wound tentatively. It cocked its head, signalling in this way another question.

_What happened to you?_

"I got caught in a battle."

The creature's gaze drifted momentarily to the roof of the cavern.

"Then you heard it," the minibot said, understanding what the creature was thinking. "My friends and I were fighting another group of Cybertronians called the Decepticons."

_Oh?_ the creature seemed to ask.

"Yeah, we've been at war with them, because they only care about power and how to get their hands on it." Bumblebee sighed ruefully. "To cut a long story short: We've been fighting each other for nine million years, but the only thing we've managed in the end was to drain our home planet dry from all its energy resources. Prime, our leader, organised an expedition so that we could find new sources of energy and so revive Cybertron. The Decepticons followed us so that they could get those sources for themselves, so now the war continues here."

To Bumblebee's wonder, he noticed that the creature's expression became sympathetic and almost saddened.

"You know… you're nothing like what I had expected you to be," Bumblebee admitted. "Especially since some of the locals are afraid of you."

The creature snorted gently and shook its head.

It was then that it dawned on Bumblebee. "You _wanted_ them afraid. It was the only way they would leave you alone."

The creature didn't make any motion this time. That was answer enough.

"That's understandable, I guess," the minibot said thoughtfully. "But there's something I don't get. Why did you attack Roller?"

The creature blinked in mild perplexity.

"It was a small six-wheeled mechanism," Bumblebee explained. "We had sent him to explore the tunnels."

The words had barely flowed out Bumblebee's lip components, when the creature narrowed its eyes slightly and then turned away.

"Where are you going?" Bumblebee asked. He didn't expect that kind of reaction and he was afraid that he had somehow offended the creature.

However, the creature simply disappeared within the shadows. Since he didn't have any choice, the minibot remained seated on the same spot, hoping that his new acquaintance would return soon.

It did. About ten minutes later, the creature returned, holding something in its mouth and then dropping it on Bumblebee's feet.

Bumblebee's optics widened when he realised that it was the remains of a very familiar yellow orb, crashed out of shape and the imprints of the creature's fangs quite visible on it. Bumblebee cringed before he could help it. He was now more than glad that the creature apparently had taken a liking to him, or he would have ended up a chew toy too.

However, that sight also set him thinking.

"You know someone is looking for you, so you smashed their scanning device," he quickly deduced. "That's why you attacked Roller too; you thought he belonged to them."

The creature nodded.

"Boy, it's a good thing he didn't end up like… that," Bumblebee mused aloud, pointing briefly at the misshapen orb. "What stopped you anyway?"

The creature settled with a small nod in the direction of Bumblebee's insignia.

Bumblebee understood. The creature had spotted the Autobot insignia on Roller and finally deemed that it had made a mistake. So, it let him go - but not before it had made sure that any evidence of its presence was deleted from Roller's databanks.

That was also something that Bumblebee couldn't understand. Just how had the creature managed to hack into Roller's systems and delete the recent memory files?

However, Bumblebee didn't manage to think about it for long, because the creature's intent look cut him off his musings.

"Are you asking me how do I know about the scanning device?" Bumblebee ventured.

The creature nodded.

Bumblebee rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly. "It's a long story."

The creature simply sat on its hind legs, declaring in this way that it had plenty of time.

Understanding, Bumblebee started telling everything from the beginning.

----------------

_A/n: You can see what the creature looks like here: http:// beregond5. deviantart. com/ art/ The-Creature-100914660_


	12. A Signal In The Dark

Jazz swam towards Wheeljack and tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. When the engineer turned around, the saboteur pointed at a small opening amid the rubble they were currently examining.

"This looks like a good spot to put your magic box."

"Are you sure?" Wheeljack asked, looking at the opening sceptically.

"What? You think I'm new at this?" Jazz asked with a tease.

"Good point," Wheeljack admitted, so he handed Jazz the detonator. "I'll go tell the others to brace themselves. This is gonna be big."

"All right, be with you in a minute," Jazz replied. He swam near the sealed entrance and placed the detonator in the opening. Once he made sure it was firmly wedged there, he set the timer and swam away as quickly as possible.

"Time to shake it," he noted with a small grin.

------------------

"Everything set, Wheeljack?" Optimus asked when he saw the engineer step out of the water.

"Yup. Once Jazz gives us the all clear, we can dive."

It was then that the ground started trembling violently, a great rumbling sound reverberating through the Autobots. Everyone froze, waiting patiently for the worst part of the explosion to pass.

It was over quite quickly. And as soon as everything grew calm once more, Jazz surfaced and waved at his comrades.

"Okay, folks. The rocks are out of the way!"

"Message received, Jazz. We'll be joining you shortly!" Optimus called.

The Autobots started diving into the water one by one, but Prime knew that there were three members in his team that couldn't go into the tunnels. He turned to Skyfire, Sparkplug and Spike to address them so as to explain the situation. However, they beat him to it.

"I understand," the Valkyrie said. "I'm too big."

"Whereas we wouldn't be able to help, even if we somehow managed to get into the tunnels without suffocating first," Sparkplug said.

"Nevertheless, there's something you can do," Optimus said. "You can ask the captain of the tanker to keep his radars on and patrol the area, while you keep an optic on things from the sky. We don't need any more unwelcome surprises."

The Witwickies and Skyfire nodded their acknowledgement. Still, there was one last thing Optimus needed to know.

"Skyfire, we know some things about the creature so far. What can you tell me about the race of the Sadjens?"

Skyfire shook his head. "You won't like it."

"I still want to know. We might have to handle at least one of them," Optimus pointed out.

"Understood," the Valkyrie replied; he obviously saw the Autobot leader's point. "They're nothing like us, Prime. According to the Merkeesans, the Sadjens are cruel and merciless, destroying everything in sight without remorse to quench their thirst for battle. What is worse, they're unstoppable. In fact, it's said that nothing can destroy them but themselves." Skyfire looked at Optimus with a very serious expression on his face. "It would be best if you stayed out of their way."

"I'll keep that in mind," Optimus said with a nod and he followed the others into the water. In a few moments, all the Autobots in the team had reached the entrance and swum through without much problem.

"Do you get any signal from Bumblebee?" Optimus asked Wheeljack. The engineer was looking at the screen of a tracking device, almost oblivious to his surroundings.

"Nothing so far," Wheeljack answered. "But there's a chance we'll pick up his energy signature once we get close enough."

"We'd better hope he hasn't become any monster's breakfast, though," Jazz said.

"Or gotten caught by the Decepticons," Cliffjumper pointed out wryly.

-----------------------

Bumblebee pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly and looked back at the creature. It was still a couple of feet away from him, pacing the cavern in a restless manner. Not only that, its tail was swaying to and fro vigorously, a clear sign that the creature was thinking hard. It was enough to throw Bumblebee's equilibrium circuitry off balance, making the minibot dizzy. Or rather, it made his dizziness even _worse._

Bumblebee had expected it, of course. He was still losing precious fluid, and he could feel some of his relays taking quite the strain. That meant that he was also growing weaker, and it wouldn't be long before he would go into stasis lock.

Even so, Bumblebee still struggled to remain online. He wanted to understand why the creature had become so agitated after he told it about the orbs and the Autobots' involvement in the matter.

"Do you know… who is after you?" he asked the creature. He cringed when he heard his voice so weak and faltering.

The creature stopped its pacing to look at Bumblebee. It was as if it had suddenly remembered there was someone else in the cavern.

"Do you?" Bumblebee insisted.

The creature finally nodded. Bumblebee sighed and let his head rest against the stalagmite.

"And now the Decepticons are after you too," he noted grimly. "Things are getting better and better."

The creature's eyes reflected its agreement. Suddenly, its ears moved back, obviously picking up some kind of sound. Puzzled, Bumblebee set his audio receptors in the maximum setting, but he couldn't hear anything.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

The creature didn't answer in any way this time. It simply headed for the shadows.

"Wait! It could be dangerous!" the minibot cried. He brought himself forward in an attempt to reach for the creature, but it was a motion that he regretted. A cry of pain tore off his vocaliser and he almost collapsed on the ground.

The creature was by his side in an instant, helping him back against the stalagmite. And, to Bumblebee's surprise, it even scolded him with a light swat on his chest-plate, its reproachful look resembling Ratchet's at that moment.

"I'm sorry…" he said, trying to catch his breath. "I just… don't want you to face the Decepticons or your enemies alone."

The creature stared at the minibot in mild disbelief before holding its head proudly.

_I'll do what I have to do._

"We can help you," Bumblebee replied. "I don't know why they hunt you… But I know that… you've never tried to hurt me. You're even worried about me... You've just proved it." His optics tried to focus on the creature's eyes, but it was more difficult than he had expected. "I owe you… and I'm sure my friends will see it that way too… when they get here…"

Unfortunately, Bumblebee didn't have the chance to say much else, because it was then that everything spiralled out of control. He shut his optics in the hopes of getting rid of the sickening feeling, but it was of no use. He had become too exhausted and weak. So he stopped struggling anymore. He simply let himself slip into unconsciousness. The last thing he registered was something warm wrapping around his shoulders and stopping his fall.

----------------------

Starscream was getting frustrated. He had been searching for clues concerning the Sadjen's prey for almost an hour, and so far he had come up with nothing. The fact that he didn't know what he was looking for didn't help matters either. All that Starscream knew for certain was that the prey was sentient and that the Sadjen was holding quite the grudge against said prey.

Both facts didn't make any difference to the Seeker. As long as he could use the prize to defeat Megatron, he would be one happy mech.

Suddenly, Starscream's thoughts were cut off when his sensors picked up an unknown signal. The Seeker froze and processed the signal in an attempt to identify it.

It was an energy signal. And it didn't belong to either a Decepticon or an Autobot – it was alien.

So… it looked like the Sadjen had decided to reveal himself. That hardly seemed coincidental to Starscream, which was why he decided to track the signal and see where it would lead him.

Just when he took another step, he sensed something moving behind him. Acting on instinct, Starscream turned around abruptly and got ready to use his null-ray.

There was nothing to be seen. Only rocks and shadows.

_But I could have sworn that…_

Starscream snorted at once. There was no time to concern himself with trivialities. Megatron and the others were bound to pick up the Sadjen's signal too, and they would try to track it as well. That meant Starscream had to act quickly and reach the Sadjen first. If he did, then he would be able to follow him to the whereabouts of the prey. If anything, it would save him from many more long hours of pointless searching.

And so, Starscream moved onwards, not bothering to look back again.

----------------

"Are you certain about your readings, Wheeljack?" Optimus asked.

"Pretty sure," Wheeljack said, still holding the tracking device in his hands. "The signal comes from one of the tunnels not far from here."

"Any sign of Bumblebee yet?" Jazz asked.

"Nope."

"We should have picked up his energy signature by now," Hound said, his tone quite concerned.

"Not if his energy is almost drained by now," Ratchet noted. "He must have slipped into stasis-lock."

"Nevertheless, we only have one choice," Optimus said. "We have to head towards the signal."

Jazz regarded the Autobot leader curiously. "Do you think the Decepticons will try to track it too?"

"I'm sure of it," Optimus said. "Wheeljack…"

"I'm on it," the engineer answered, guessing what Optimus would ask of him. With his optics locked on his tracking device, he went in front of the group so he would lead them toward the signal. The Autobots set off once again in silence, keeping their sensors on so they wouldn't be caught by surprise either by the Decepticons… or something else.

And yet one mech seemed more uneasy than the rest. Mirage looked around again, seeming quite lost in thought.

"What's in your mind, man?" Beachcomber asked softly. He was walking beside the Ligier and he had noticed his troubled expression.

"Didn't you notice anything strange?" Mirage replied, leaning confidentially to the minibot.

"Like what?"

"We didn't encounter that creature Spike and Sparkplug told us about. An animal so protective of its territory should have met us head-on, right?"

Beachcomber tilted his head as he considered matters. "You have a point," he finally said. "But that only proves that the creature is smart."

"Smart?" Mirage echoed.

"Yeah, man," Beachcomber said. "We're a whole group and it's alone. It's probably aware that the odds are against it, so it chose to keep its distance."

"I guess that makes sense," Mirage replied, his optics dimming slightly. "Turbo-foxes are a bit like that."

"Exactly," Beachcomber said. "And there's something else."

"What?" the Ligier asked.

The minibot's gaze drifted to their surroundings. "I don't think the creature picked this place as its lair on a whim."

Mirage blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about? The ship just happened to crash here."

"But the creature didn't swim as far away from the crash-site as possible, it stayed here," Beachcomber pointed out. "It could mean that these old lava flows resemble its natural habitat."

"So… you're saying that it likes living near volcanoes?" Mirage asked.

"It stands to reason, man. Remember, we're talking about a silicon-based life-form, and most volcanoes spew out _tephra_, a product of silicon dioxide," Beachcomber said with a shrug. "This place probably feels like home to the creature."

"And, if what you say is true, all this _tephra_ probably serves as a cover too," Hound added, overhearing his comrades' conversation. "It must help the creature to blend in and so avoid detection."

"Yeah… unlike something else," Beachcomber said, freezing on his tracks. For it was then that his sensors picked up some very familiar energy signatures.

"Guys, we're gonna have trouble with a capital 'D' soon," Wheeljack said at that moment. Indeed, the tracking device was now bleeping furiously, indicating multiple Decepticon activity.

"They're rallying to confront us," Perceptor said.

"That's just great," Cliffjumper said, clenching his jaw. "And we can't use our weapons either. The tunnels are so narrow we might end up hitting each other."

"Then there's nothing for it. We'll have to engage in physical combat," Optimus said, subspacing his arm and replacing it with his energy axe.

"Good!" Brawn exclaimed and pounded his fists together. "I'm in the mood for kicking some Decepticon caboose!"

"Looks like you got your wish," Jazz said, pointing ahead.

Indeed, Megatron was standing with the rest of the Decepticons a few feet away, his energy mace shining brilliantly where his right hand usually was.

"So the rocks didn't stop you, Optimus Prime," the Decepticon leader said, red optics flashing malevolently. "Then we'll just have to do the job ourselves. Decepticons, attack!"

Optimus was hardly fazed though. He turned to his fellow Autobots and gave one command only.

"Autobots… let's get them!"

_TBC..._


	13. Clash Of Enemies

Starscream was still walking when his sensors picked up the energy signatures of both the Decepticons and the Autobots. That was something the Seeker didn't welcome at all. It meant that he didn't have to outrun just Megatron and the others, but also Optimus Prime and his own band of idiots.

Just then, the sound of shouting echoed through the tunnels. Intrigued, Starscream set up his audio receptors to the maximum and listened carefully. His dismay changed to satisfaction as he realised that he was listening to the clamour of battle.

_Well, that's making things easier for me. _

Even better, Starscream could tell that he was getting close to the Sadjen's signal. All he had to do was take two more turns and…

… the signal vanished.

"What?!" the Seeker exclaimed. He rushed forward to see what the meaning of this was, and he found himself in a cavern, looking at the offline form of that accursed minibot. Next to the minibot was some sort of large quadruped, now staring back at Starscream warily.

That didn't make any sense. Starscream was sure that the Sadjen was in that cavern. What was going on?

Starscream didn't have the chance to ponder on things for long, though. Just then, his sensors picked up the Sadjen's energy signal again… and he was behindStarscream.

Gasping, the Seeker made a motion to defend himself, but it was too late. A terrible surge of energy coursed through his relays, burning his circuitries and making his fluid almost boil. His systems started overloading rapidly, making his processor receive dozens of error messages all at once. He screamed, unable to stand the searing pain; then blissful darkness claimed him and he knew nothing more.

----------------------

Optimus ducked before Megatron's energy mace hit him. Pieces of rock flew everywhere as the mace hit a stalagmite behind Prime, but the Autobot leader wasn't deterred. Lunging forward, he swung his axe to hit Megatron across the chest. Megatron proved just as fast as he avoided the hit, and he even tried to kick Optimus off his feet, though unsuccessfully.

"Give it up, Megatron," Optimus said. "As long as I'm functioning, I'll always stand in your way."

"Then this is something that we'll have to remedy, Prime," Megatron said, renewing his attack. Optimus blocked the mace easily, and the duel continued on as strong as ever.

Still, being locked in fierce combat didn't mean Optimus didn't keep an eye on the rest of the Autobots. He caught sight of Ratchet battling with Soundwave, while Brawn and Cliffjumper were busy fighting the cassetticons. Mirage couldn't turn invisible because of his injury, but he could still put up a good fight against Skywarp. Hound made use of his holograms in order to confuse Thundercracker and Dirge, whereas Beachcomber and Perceptor took care of Astrotrain and Reflector. Jazz and Wheeljack fought Ramjet and Blitzwing without much problem either.

However, Prime noticed that someone was missing from the picture. Starscream was nowhere to be seen, and the Autobot leader knew that this wasn't a good sign. It meant Starscream had probably gone ahead.

- Jazz, take Perceptor and move on, - Optimus transmitted through the secret frequency, then blocked another of Megatron's attacks.

Jazz kicked Ramjet on the ground. – What about the other Decepticons? – he transmitted back.

- I'm more concerned about Starscream right now, - Optimus replied. - We can't let him find the creature first. -

- Say no more, we're on it, – Jazz said. Leaving Wheeljack to take care of Blitzwing, the saboteur signalled to Perceptor.

- On my way, - Perceptor said, already knowing what Jazz wanted of him. Moving gracefully, the scientist stepped aside before Reflector had the chance to tackle him. Perceptor wasn't sorry in the least when the Decepticon ended up on the rocky wall of the tunnel and knocked himself out. He simply hurried to Jazz once he was sure that Beachcomber could deal with Astrotrain just fine on his own.

"I apologise for the delay," he said.

"Apology accepted, but we'd better move on. In this race, there's no prize for us winnin' second," Jazz replied. Grabbing Perceptor by the wrist, they both rushed down to the next tunnel. "According to Wheeljack, the signal was last comin' from this direction."

"But how can we be sure which way to go now that the signal is gone?" Perceptor wondered.

The sound of roars reached their audio receptors, and the two Autobots stopped in their tracks in surprise.

"Never mind. I have my answer," Perceptor noted.

Jazz didn't say anything. He just cocked his head, listening intently. Perceptor blinked, unsure what to make of that reaction.

"Jazz?"

"Just listen," Jazz replied.

Indulging the saboteur, Perceptor tuned up his audio receptors and listened too. He was shocked when he realised that he was picking up two _different_ sets of roars, one snarling and the other growling.

"Come on," Jazz said, setting off once more. Perceptor followed closely behind, and it wasn't long before they reached a large cavern. Their sparks felt like they missed an energy pulse when the two Autobots saw Starscream and Bumblebee. The Seeker was offline, sprawled on the ground with smoke coming out of his mouth. Worse, Bumblebee was also offline, collapsed a couple of feet away from Starscream.

Perceptor couldn't help it. He winced when he noticed the pool of fluid underneath the minibot, and he could only hope that their friend wasn't beyond help.

Jazz, however, pointed at an even more disturbing sight. Two Ravage-like creatures were engaged in battle, their roars reverberating through the entire cavern. Neither of them seemed to notice the newcomers as sharp claws and fangs tried to sink deep on their adversary's body.

Perceptor decided that no, things weren't looking good at all.

"I'm going to Bumblebee. We need to get him out of here," he declared.

Jazz nodded and held up his gun. "I don't know if this will work with these two, but I've got you covered," he said.

Perceptor nodded his acknowledgement and moved cautiously forward, trusting Jazz to keep him safe. Still, the brutal clash was quite discomfiting, and it took all of Perceptor willpower to force himself closer to Bumblebee.

Finally, he was beside the minibot. Without losing any precious time, Perceptor assessed the damage on the yellow form and he sighed in relief. Bumblebee was in stasis-lock, but at least he wasn't as weakened as Perceptor had feared. In fact, the minibot's energy levels were on a satisfactory level, so Perceptor only had to do some primary repairs on the damaged relays and fluid system to get Bumblebee out of his stasis-lock.

With jaw clenched in determination, Perceptor started working. He kept himself focused on the job, trying to ignore the deafening roars that made his audio receptors ache. However, Perceptor also noticed something very odd. Bumblebee's circuitry felt almost hot to the touch. That meant Bumblebee's temperature was much higher than normal.

Just like Roller's had been.

"Perceptor, look out!"

Perceptor turned, horrified to see that one of the creatures had tackled its opponent, throwing it in his and Bumblebee's direction. He watched as Jazz fired at the creatures, but it was of no use. The laser fire only ricocheted harmlessly off their black skin. Not seeing any other way, Perceptor quickly covered Bumblebee with his own body and braced himself for the impact.

He certainly didn't expect the second creature to dig its claws on the rocky ground and stop its fall at the last minute. In fact, if Perceptor didn't know any better, he'd say that the particular creature tried to _protect_ the two Autobots. But it was also a costly action. At the next moment, the first creature lunged forward and sank its teeth deep on its enemy's throat.

The roar of pain that tore out of the fallen one's chest sent a chill to Perceptor's very spark, yet it wasn't the end. With eyes narrowing dangerously, the injured creature used its front claws to push its attacker away.

The ripping sound that reached Perceptor's audio receptors was sickening, to say the least. And Perceptor could only stare appalled at the gaping hole on the injured creature's throat, as well as the strange green glow emanating from there.

"You okay?" Jazz cried.

"Y-yes…" Perceptor faltered.

Realising his mistake, Perceptor quickly composed himself. This wasn't the time to feel squeamish. He had to fix Bumblebee so that they could get out of there. But how was he supposed to do that when two savage beasts were fighting out their differences just a foot away from him?

"We need to get rid of them!" he called to Jazz above the ruckus of battle.

"Tell me about it!" Jazz said. "But how? The laserfire doesn't affect them!"

"Isn't there anything else you can do?"

"One thing only!"

"Then do it!" Perceptor cried. One of the creatures landed again so close that its tail hit the scientist on his arm.

"Okay! You'd better cover your audio receptors, though!" Jazz warned.

"Oh dear…" Understanding what Jazz implied, he instantly turned down the setting of his audios.

Jazz's plan worked. The moment that the saboteur activated his woofers, one of the creatures jumped in the air with a painful roar. The injured one, on the other hand, just flinched momentarily before it lunged at the stunned look-alike. After a powerful headbutt, it started swatting its adversary again and again, until the latter had no choice but to retreat back in the shadows.

Several minutes passed. The injured creature remained perfectly still, breathing heavily and its ears moving furiously in an attempt to pick up any suspicious sound.

- Should I try again? - Jazz asked through the private frequency.

- Let it be for the moment, - Perceptor replied. – I'm almost done. -

Jazz complied, though he kept his woofers on standby just in case. Finally, Perceptor fixed the last relay and then rebooted Bumblebee's systems.

Bumblebee came online with a loud, drowsy groan.

"Ow… what?" His optics locked on the scientist. "Perceptor?"

"That would be correct," Perceptor said. "Try not to exert yourself, you're damaged quite severely."

"But how did you get here?" Bumblebee asked in confusion. "The last thing I remember was…" His voice trailed off and he looked around. "Where's the creature?"

"Currently starin' at me," Jazz said at that moment. Indeed, the creature was now regarding the saboteur closely, a very familiar, questioning look reflected in its eyes. However, it held its head awkwardly because of the wound, and it was clear that it was in much discomfort.

"Oh no…" Bumblebee said, pushing himself in a sitting position before Perceptor could protest. "What happened?"

"There are actually two of them," Jazz replied, pointing at the creature. "And they don't like each other."

"Or Cybertronians, judging by what happened to Starscream," Perceptor completed.

"No, you have it wrong," Bumblebee argued. "I don't know about that other creature you're talking about, but this one is friendly." He looked at the creature, which was watching the conversation between the Autobots in a calm manner; then turned to Jazz, who was looking at the creature suspiciously. "Trust me, it won't hurt you."

"Hey, man, don't get me wrong, I really want to believe you. But that thing was fightin' like a berserk turbo-wolf just minutes ago," Jazz replied.

"It was probably defending itself," Bumblebee insisted. "Come on, guys, let me straighten this out."

"I fear that that's unwise," Perceptor said, placing a hand on the minibot's shoulder in order to make him stay down.

"But it's my friend!"

"The answer is still no, Bumblebee," Perceptor said. "How can you even ascertain that _this _creature is the one you got yourself acquainted with?"

Bumblebee opened his mouth to object, but he closed it again at once. It was obvious Perceptor had made a valid point. At least, that was what Perceptor thought. At the next moment, Bumblebee and the creature exchanged a look. The scientist couldn't possibly tell what the minibot managed to see within the creature's feral eyes. However, he couldn't deny Bumblebee's certainty when the minibot turned to Jazz and Perceptor, his mind made up.

"It _is _the friendly one."

That was why, against his better judgement, Perceptor nodded his defeat and gave Bumblebee the go ahead.

Bumblebee sighed in relief. With the help of Perceptor, he managed to get to his hands and knees in order to crawl towards the creature. After all, though repaired for the most part, Bumblebee was still far from fully recovered.

To Jazz and Perceptor's surprise, the creature also took a couple of steps forward. And neither the saboteur nor the scientist expected to see a look of concern in its eyes as it gently nuzzled Bumblebee.

"Yeah, I'm okay, more or less," the minibot answered to the creature's silent question. "I wish I could say the same for you."

The creature just shook its head, dismissing its wound as nothing life-threatening. Its gaze drifted to Jazz and Perceptor, and it rested its claw on Bumblebee's insignia.

"That's right. They're friends," Bumblebee said. "You can trust them."

The creature didn't seem sure, though. Its eyes locked on Starscream's form.

"That's a Decepticon," Bumblebee answered. "I guess he was looking for you."

"Although, by the look of things, he underestimated your species," Perceptor said, aware that he was actually _conversing_ with the beast. "Did you do this?"

The creature shook its head.

"Then it must've been the other one," Jazz noted, looking at Starscream. "It did quite a number on him. He'll be out-cold for a long while."

The creature made a motion in understanding. Still, there was something else bothering it. The Autobots could easily tell by the way it swayed its tail. In fact, it was almost as if the creature was pondering its options before finally reaching to a decision.

What happened next caught the Autobots by surprise, for the creature suddenly pushed itself on its hind legs. A trail of green light surged through its whole body, followed by the sound of something burning swiftly. Moments later, ashes fell from the black form, landing on the creature's feet.

Except… the creature was gone. In its place stood a humanoid being, looking very much like an Earthen woman covered in a hard exoskeleton, whose colour and texture resembled the creature's 'skin'. Her hair was short, and her blond bangs did little to hide a pair of green eyes, missing the characteristic black pupil.

Though the wound was gone too, it was obvious she still felt a bit sore. She rubbed her neck with long, flesh-like fingers, and then she directed her gaze to the Autobots, who could only stare back at her in disbelief.

In the end, Bumblebee broke the stunned silence that reigned in the cavern and asked one thing only.

"You?"

She nodded.

_TBC..._


	14. A Sadjen's Story

"Uh… Bumblebee?" Jazz said, his optics still locked on the alien. "Did you know it… _she _could do that?"

Bumblebee shook his head slowly, his mouth hanging open.

Perceptor was the first to recover from his initial shock. Feeling his scientific curiosity kicking in, he boldly approached the alien and regarded her with quite the scrutiny. She quirked an eyebrow at that, but she let him examine her nonetheless.

"Amazing," Perceptor murmured before he could help it. "There's a symbiotic relationship between the organic silicon-based cells and the core of energy within the exoskeleton, thus forming the basis of a loose bodily structure that can be morphed at will."

"You mean... she's a Transformer too?" Jazz asked.

"Strictly speaking, yes."

She didn't say anything, but it was clear she couldn't follow Perceptor's train of thought. So, she simply dismissed matters and turned to Bumblebee.

"Need any help?" she asked, extending a hand in the kneeling minibot's direction. Her voice was deep and slightly echoing, yet feminine.

Bumblebee first looked at the offered hand and then into her eyes. He could see no trace of yellow in them anymore. But the calm, friendly expression reflected in there was the same.

"It's really you," he said.

She smiled a bit. "You smell of wax, oil, paint, exhaust fumes and mechanical fluids. And I'm not an oversized kitty."

Bumblebee chuckled at the mild tease. "I'll take that as yes." He took her hand and stood up, marvelling at the warmth of that flesh-like palm. "Thanks," he said, directing his gaze upwards – she was almost as tall as Jazz and Perceptor now.

"You're welcome," she replied.

Jazz cleared his vocaliser. "Well, I don't know about you folks, but I think we should introduce ourselves properly."

"Oh, yes, quite right," Perceptor said, remembering himself. He pointed at himself and the saboteur. "We're Autobots. Designations: Perceptor and Jazz. You're already acquainted with Bumblebee."

She nodded, committing the new names to memory, and then bowed her head.

"I'm Faera, of the race of Sadjens. Former soldier and now an exile."

"Exile? Why?" Bumblebee asked.

She didn't answer, though. She pricked up her ears instead, because some kind of sound echoed through the tunnels.

"Metallic footsteps," she mused. She turned to the three Autobots. "Friends of yours?"

"Let's hope so, or we're goin' to be in some serious mess," Jazz said, holding his gun once more. Perceptor followed the saboteur's example and Bumblebee picked up a rock, since he had no gun; while Faera got ready to transform to her animal form, her body crackling noisily.

As it turned out, there was no reason for alarm. Just then, Wheeljack stepped out from the shadows. He was slightly dented and his arm was cracked on the side, but he wasn't paying any attention to that. His optics were locked on the detector in his hands.

That is, until he lifted his gaze to see his friends.

"Looks like you guys found the source of the signal," he said, eyeing Faera intriguingly.

"It's fine, man. She's okay," Jazz said. "What about the Decepticons?"

"We won't be hearing from them for a while," Wheeljack said. He waved at Faera in a friendly manner. "Hi, the name's Wheeljack. You sure know how to pick your hiding spots," he said, and then he turned around. "I've found them! And they've got company!"

"Good!" Ratchet's voice sounded from a distance. "Now will you let me look at your arm already? You're leaking fluid all over the place!"

All Autobots present winced quite visibly at that, even more so when they saw a very grumpy Ratchet walking up to Wheeljack. The medic pointed at a rock nearby, and Wheeljack obediently sat down with a sigh so that Ratchet could fix the engineer's arm.

Feeling quite perplexed at the scene, Faera turned to Bumblebee for an explanation.

"Yeah, they're both Autobots," the minibot replied, understanding the Sadjen's silent question. "Ratchet is just showing his nastier side now," he added under his breath.

"I heard that," Ratchet said in a snarling tone. "And if you think that you're going to get away that easily because Perceptor had a mere peek at you, you've got another thing coming!"

Bumblebee groaned and looked up at Faera. "See what I mean?"

Faera nodded, patting the minibot's back in a gesture of sympathy.

Finally, the rest of the Autobots appeared as well. Gladdened to see Bumblebee again, they all gathered around him, wanting to make sure that he was okay.

"All right, you've smothered him enough," Ratchet said once he was done with Wheeljack's arm. "Now get out of the way so I can work on him."

The Autobots did just that, and it was then that they noticed Faera.

Brawn looked at the female Sadjen with a frowning expression.

"So. You're the reason we're here?" he asked bluntly.

"Pretty much," Faera answered. She faced Optimus Prime, obviously guessing she was addressing the Autobot leader. "That's why I feel I must apologise for getting you dragged into something that should have been kept between myself and him."

"Him?" Optimus asked, regarding Faera curiously.

She nodded. "Another Sadjen, named Ebon. He's the one that sent the tracking orbs to find me."

"And the one who allied with the Decepticons," Optimus said, catching on.

"Heh… not for long, by the looks of it," Wheeljack commented, pointing at Starscream with his thumb.

"I'd say so," Faera said in a wry manner. She shook her head. "All his sense of honour is gone."

"Honour?" Cliffjumper echoed. "Skyfire said your people are ruthless killing machines."

"Cliffjumper!" Bumblebee said indignantly.

"Hey, man, that's not a nice thing to say to the lady," Jazz intervened. "She helped Bumblebee, after all."

"It's fine," Faera said, waving her hand dismissively. "And to answer your question, Cliffjumper: we can prove ruthless, but not without reason. We _will _kill our opponent if that's what it takes to defend ourselves."

"So…" Mirage said then, "How did the Merkeesans provoke you?"

That caught Faera by surprise.

"Hold on. Is that where you got your information?" she asked.

"Yes," Optimus replied. "Our friend met them while charting a map of the G-20 quadrant."

"Well, except the Merkeesans forgot to tell your friend that we defeated them when they attempted to conquer our home planet," she said with a snort. "Or that they couldn't accept their defeat with grace, apparently."

"I see," the Autobot leader said thoughtfully. "Still, you accuse Ebon of not having honour."

"Because it's true," she said. Her gaze drifted in Starscream's direction. "There's a reason why he allied with the Decepticons."

"What's that?" Beachcomber asked.

She pointed at the cavern. "This place is filled with ash, the basis of a Sadjen's existence. Even in his battle raiment and with his senses heightened, Ebon wouldn't have been able to sniff me out without some help. Help from someone who could provide the appropriate detectors like the one Wheeljack carries in his hands."

"In other words, he used the Decepticons," Hound said.

"It would seem like they used each other," Optimus pointed out before turning to Faera once more. "What I don't understand is why the other Sadjens are after you."

"They're not," Faera replied. "It's just Ebon."

Bumblebee looked up, surprised at Faera's words. "How can you be sure?"

The female Sadjen hesitated momentarily, but she eventually answered.

"There are no others. Not anymore."

All the Autobots flinched at those words, for they realised what she was telling them.

"What happened?" Hound asked quietly.

She shook her head. "Not here. There's no point in staying in the cavern any longer when your enemies and mine are still on the loose. I should lead you back to the surface."

"Agreed," Optimus said with a nod. "Ratchet, have you finished with Bumblebee?"

"Just now. And he's as good as new," the medic replied. Sure enough, Bumblebee was back on his feet, stretching his circuits with relief.

"Good work," the Autobot leader said. "Check on Starscream and then we can leave."

Ratchet nodded his understanding, although Cliffjumper and Brawn voiced their objections.

"Why should we help him for?" the red minibot said. "He wouldn't do the same for us!"

"That's why he's a Decepticon and we're Autobots," Optimus replied.

"And what about the girl?" Brawn said, pointing at Faera. "Starscream would have captured her if he had been luckier."

Faera actually smirked, flexing her fingers in a manner that resembled flexing claws. "Trust me, if the Decepticon had tried anything funny against my person, he would have been in even worse shape than his current one."

"Besides, I'm just going to activate his self-repair systems," Ratchet said. He opened Starscream's chest-plate and turned on a switch. "All done," he declared.

"Good," Optimus said. He stood aside and beckoned Faera in a courteous manner. "Lead the way, Faera. And perhaps you can tell us of your story while at it."

She pursed her lips, considering the option. "I can… but it's not going to be pretty."

"I understand. Nevertheless, I want to hear it, and I'm sure the others want to as well," the Autobot leader said.

"So be it then," she acquiesced.

Optimus nodded, giving her in this way permission, so Faera walked ahead and started telling her story.

"It was said among my people that, when the stars were young, Sirthar, the Supreme One, offered light to our world, and then asked of his two sons to shape the beings of that world as they saw fit. Elkfar, the Wise One, eldest of the two sons, gave us knowledge and intelligence residing within our cores. Aeknar, the Strong One, who was the youngest and harshest of the two, gifted us with the battle raiment so we could defend ourselves and our world.

"Thus it was how the first Sadjens came to be. And it was said that Sirthar was so pleased with his sons' handiwork that he blessed us, deeming that nothing and no one could destroy us but our own selves.

"So the Sadjens thrived and prospered for endless millennia, abiding to the laws that the Council – the three highest members amongst us – set."

"Laws?" Hound asked.

"Laws declaring any kind of weakness as unacceptable. Laws according to which we trained from an early age in the ways of war. Laws that taught us never to retreat nor surrender," Faera explained. "Only the strongest and hardest of us survived. The rest… were left behind."

"You let them die?" Ratchet said, his medic side protesting violently.

"If they couldn't keep up, they weren't meant to be Sadjens," she said, shrugging a bit. "It was never in my place to question the decisions of the Council, for it was because of those laws that we became an unstoppable force, moving as one.

"However, as we earned victory after victory, we didn't realise that there was an enemy that infiltrated our cores, poisoning them and tainting them. For fighting in order to defend ourselves wasn't enough anymore, and our home world seemed small for us to live in. Talk started to spread that we should exploit our strength to its fullest, expanding ourselves to other worlds. As the best warriors in the galaxy, nothing could stand between us and absolute power.

"We became conceited and greedy. And the Council could only observe helplessly as several Sadjens voiced their displeasure concerning the old beliefs and demanded a new change in order.

"Soon, that demand spread like wildfire among the Sadjens, and riots started breaking out. Things became so terrible that the Council had no choice but to rally inside the Sacred Halls - where they resided – the Sadjens that were still loyal to the old ways."

"Were you one of them?" Optimus asked.

She nodded. "We were meant to fight off the rebels as long as possible, hoping that the riots would die out. For a while, things looked good in spite of our situation. The door of the Halls remained closed throughout the siege, and it looked as if the rebels would give up."

"Obviously, they didn't," Cliffjumper noted.

"Indeed," Faera replied wryly. "As it turned out, we were betrayed, and the rebels found a secret way inside the Halls. In less than an hour, they swarmed the place and we started fighting each other. _Killing _each other." All emotion was gone from her eyes as she still kept narrating. "What was worse, that same traitor attacked the members of the Council, driving his claws through their cores and extinguishing them.

"The members didn't even have a chance to fight back."

Several of the Autobots exchanged an uneasy glance at this, for Faera's tale reminded them in many ways the breakout of their own war with the Decepticons.

"So what happened then?" Jazz asked.

She swallowed hard. "As I said, there was no room for weakness among us. We knew that, if we ever reached to the point that a Sadjen would turn against another Sadjen, we were no longer worthy of our existence. Our kind was meant to perish.

"That was why, back on the dawn of our civilisation, we planted several detonation devices on key parts of our home world. They were so powerful devices that they could wipe out entire cities and everyone within them. And, if the explosions didn't do the trick… the radiation afterwards would wipe out any remaining survivors."

Wheeljack let out a sound that resembled a whistle. "Those must have been some bombs."

"They were," Faera replied dryly. "I had to find out the hard way."

"What do you mean?" Beachcomber asked.

She pinched the bridge of her nose in a tired manner. Nevertheless, she indulged the minibot. "When I reached adulthood long ago, I was entrusted with one of the two keys to a room where two space-ships were housed. My task was simple, yet grim: if our race was to reach its end, the second key-bearer and I would fly out into space... and then I'd set the bombs off."

"Oh my," Perceptor exclaimed. "So you…?"

Her shoulders slumped forward. It was enough answer.

Ratchet's expression clouded. "How could you?"

Faera stopped on her tracks and faced the medic, a rueful expression on her features. "If the rebels took over and the new order was established, the Sadjens would become nothing more but ransacking marauders, pillaging, plundering, spreading terror and suffering to other worlds. Would you rather I let my people dwindle to that fate?"

Ratchet glared at the Sadjen for many moments. In the end, though, he sighed and shook his head.

"I hate to admit it, but no. Not when you put it that way."

"Besides, what's done is done," Optimus said. "There's no point in judging someone who only did their duty handed to them."

"But what about Ebon?" Hound asked, not really understanding. "How does he fit into all this?"

"He was the second key-bearer," she explained. "And he was also the traitor."

"He used his own key to escape," Jazz said, seeing where Faera was going with this.

Faera shrugged. "I'm not sure. Perhaps he was even trying to stop me from destroying our home-planet, though he never made it on time. I suppose I'll never know. Whatever his reasons were, he afterwards did the only thing that made sense to him in his berserk state. He attacked my ship."

She sighed. Surprisingly enough, her tone became soft, even pained. "I proved better, and I managed to disable his thrusters, leaving him practically immobile and into my mercy. All I had to do was fire at his ship and it would be over.

"Except… I couldn't do it."

"Why?" Mirage asked in a surprised tone. "After what you had done…"

She winced. "Because I didn't want to be the last one," she answered quietly. "I took off instead, wanting to believe he would take the hint and leave me be. I wandered through the galaxy for centuries, drifting without purpose, until an asteroid hit me and I had no choice but to land here, on Earth. The place looked hospitable enough, so I stayed. I thought that would be that, but…" She didn't finish her sentence. She just looked ahead instead.

"Ebon found you," Bumblebee completed.

She nodded. "And now he wants nothing more than to see me dead. No matter the cost."

**TBC****…**


	15. A Fitting End

Starscream felt his cranial unit throbbing painfully. He sat up with a wince, surprised to see that he was alone in the cavern. When he remembered what happened, however, he clenched his jaw tightly, feeling anger and hatred towards the Sadjen for his sneak attack. Starscream would make sure that that alien paid, even if it was the last thing he did.

But now he had to take care of other matters. He had to find out what became of the yellow minibot and that strange quadruped. He pushed himself back on his feet, though it made him feel nauseous, and he got ready to activate his scanners.

It was in that moment that Starscream saw something glinting on the ground. It was a wrench, and the air commander knew only one mech who would be in possession of such a thing. That was enough as proof that the Autobots had found the minibot and repaired him, but it didn't explain where the Sadjen and that creature went.

"Well, what do we have here?" a very familiar voice sounded, cutting into Starscream's train of thought. "What are you looking for, Starscream?"

Starscream lifted his gaze. Megatron was really in front of him, along with the rest of the Decepticons, looking like scrap. Clearly, Starscream wasn't the only one having a bad day, and the Seeker didn't plan to make things any worse either.

"I think the answer is quite obvious, oh wise Megatron. I was looking for our prize for you," he lied smoothly. "And I would have found it too if it weren't for the Sadjen and the Autobots."

Megatron stiffened at those words. "Are you saying that the traitor has joined forces with Prime?"

"Actually, what he's saying is that _she_ joined forces with your archenemy," Ebon's voice sounded from the shadows. At the next moment, the Sadjen himself appeared, rubbing his arm with a wincing expression.

"So you've decided to show your face, Sadjen. Pity that this will mark the end of your sorry life," Megatron declared and held up his fusion cannon. The rest of the Decepticons followed their leader's example, pleased to finally aim their guns at the alien.

Ebon snorted. "You'll only be wasting precious energy, remember?" He approached Megatron, not in the least concerned about his predicament. "That's exactly what is going to happen if you try to deal with my little prey on your own. She's a Sadjen, too." He suddenly turned to Starscream, a strange expression on his features. "You know what that means, don't you, Starscream?"

Starscream bit his lower lip. "The only one who can destroy her is you."

"Exactly."

Megatron sneered at Ebon, curling his upper lip in distaste. "Do you have any suggestions, I suppose?"

Ebon straightened his shoulders, looking at Megatron straight in the optic. "The Autobots may have gotten themselves the weapon you wanted, but I can get rid of her for you. So let's put aside our differences and work together. What do you say, Megatron?"

Megatron frowned, contemplating Ebon's offer. Finally, he lowered his cannon.

"Very well, Sadjen. Consider yourself useful… for now." He turned to Soundwave, who was tending Ravage's paw. "Soundwave, activate your scanners and try to locate the second Sadjen and the Autobots. It's time to end this."

"Yes, Megatron," Soundwave answered, complying.

----------------------------

"Is it much farther, Faera?" Optimus asked, looking at his surroundings.

"No," she answered, taking a turn to the right. "We'll reach the surface soon enough."

"Good," Cliffjumper said. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."

"And there's another reason we should hurry up," Wheeljack said. "Faera is undetected while in her battle raiment, but right now she's emitting a strong energy signal. The Decepticons can easily pick it up in their scanners – more easily than our energy signatures."

"That's why we'll have to keep our scanners on as well, Wheeljack," Optimus said. "The last thing we need is the Decepticons on our backs."

"Yup," Beachcomber said. "These tunnels aren't as stable as they appear to be. There's no telling what might happen if we get caught in another battle."

"I should have you out by then," Faera said in a reassuring tone.

"Faera, while we're at it, might I ask you something?" Perceptor said.

"I suppose. Go ahead."

"Did you pass energy to Bumblebee while he was in stasis-lock? His circuitries felt warm while I was working on him."

She nodded. "I was hoping I'd be able to revive him, but it didn't work. I don't know how a Cybertronian operates, so I couldn't activate the right relays."

"You didn't seem to have any problems with Roller," Ratchet noted.

"He's not that complicated," she replied.

"It still is a scary thought," Hound mused. "You could control us like puppets if you put your mind into it."

Faera's expression softened. "I suppose it's frightening. It never concerned me before, since the only machines I ever had to operate were non-sentient ones."

"And now?" Brawn asked.

"Let's just say I'll be thinking twice about it from now on," she said, a small smile forming on her lips.

"So, Faera," Bumblebee asked at that moment, "What does your name mean?"

"What?" Faera exclaimed, chuckling a bit at the unexpected question.

"You know… Bumblebee means something, Brawn means something…" the yellow minibot explained. "I was wondering if 'Faera' means anything."

"Oh." She scratched her head in thought. "There isn't a precise meaning for it in the Earthen language. The closest I can come up with is 'Lightfoot'."

"So what does 'Ebon' mean?" Jazz asked.

"Dark. Ironic, right? And I think they use the same word here on Earth to describe the same thing."

"Oh, that's nothing. Wait till you meet the other guys back at the Ark," Hound said. "Some of them live up to their names to a tee."

"Not to mention the Decepticons," Cliffjumper added with a snort.

Faera said nothing to that. She just sniffed the air. "We're close now. The smell of the sea is stronger."

"And here comes the bad news," Wheeljack said. Indeed, his detector started beeping furiously and, soon enough, all the Autobots could pick up the energy signatures of the Decepticons.

"Blast it!" Ratchet exclaimed. He took out of subspace both his guns and tossed one to Bumblebee. "Here, you need this more than I do!"

Bumblebee hesitated, though. "We're in the caves."

"We've already pummelled the Decepticons to scrapheap in physical combat. I don't think they will let that happen a second time," Brawn pointed out.

"Everyone, set your guns to the minimum setting and aim at the stalactites!" Optimus ordered, already firing his rifle. The rest of the Autobots complied and, in a few moments, the stalactites that broke off blocked the way of the Decepticons.

"Do you think that will slow them down, Prime?" Jazz asked.

"Yes, but not for long," Optimus answered. "If we're to fight them again, we need to do it in the open."

"This way," Faera said, pointing at a tunnel to her left. "And you'd better keep up!"

The words had barely escaped her lips. She leapt forward, her body crackling as her exoskeleton thickened and spread further, encasing her head and hands as well. By the time she landed on her feet again, she was back to her animal form, moving with the grace and speed of a creature in its own turf. The Autobots followed her as well as they could, considering that they didn't know the territory, and kept a lookout for any unwelcome surprises.

They were out of luck. Suddenly, Faera came to an abrupt halt, a roar of dismay emanating from her throat. Ebon was standing a couple of feet away in his own animal form.

"Oh, this is just great!" Wheeljack noted with a sigh. "It's not only Faera who's undetectable in their battle raiment."

Ebon hardly acknowledged the Autobots, though. He locked his gaze on Faera, his yellow eyes narrowed in anger.

"We don't have time for this!" Cliffjumper said. He aimed at Ebon and got ready to pull the trigger.

"Cliffjumper, wait!"

Perceptor's warning came too late; Cliffjumper had already fired. However, the laserfire simply ricocheted off Ebon's exoskeleton and barely missed the Autobots as it bounced back at them.

Perceptor turned to Cliffjumper with a sigh. "There's a reason _why _the Sadjens were considered unstoppable."

The red minibot rubbed the back of his head in an embarrassed manner. "Oops?"

Jazz took a step forward, getting closer to Faera. "I think it's high time I activated my woofers again."

"I don't think so, Autobot," Megatron's voice sounded just then. Before Jazz had any chance to react, Megatron hit the saboteur with his fusion cannon.

"Jazz!" Optimus cried, seeing the mech fall.

"I'll take care of him, you see to Megatron!" Ratchet said, hurrying to Jazz's aid.

Optimus nodded his acknowledgement and turned to the Decepticon leader.

"You leave me with no choice, Megatron. It's time to settle this once and for all."

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Prime. They are also going to be your last!"

And with that, Megatron tackled Optimus, marking the beginning of a new battle. The clamour of fight filled the tunnels once more, mingling this time with the roars of the combating Sadjens. Still, neither party was willing to back down.

- This is getting us nowhere! – Bumblebee said over the secret frequency. Ravage had lunged at him and the yellow minibot was trying to push him away.

- Nevertheless, we have to keep fighting! – Optimus said, ducking a punch from Megatron.

- But for how long? - Hound said, firing at Dirge.

- There is another way, - Beachcomber replied at that moment. – Mind you, it's risky. –

- I'm all audios – Optimus said. He grabbed a stalactite and used it to knock the fusion cannon out of Megatron's arm.

- We're still below sea level, - Perceptor replied, jumping out of the way before Starscream's null-rays hit him. – If we hit one of those lava flows and let the water inside, it could cause a powerful reaction that could, in turn, result to an earthquake. –

- Let me guess the catch, - Brawn said, busy with Skywarp. – It's not gonna be just a minor earthquake, is it? –

- Well… - If Perceptor could have afforded the luxury in the heat of battle, he would have wrung his hands nervously.

- This looks like a job for me then. I can make sure the earthquake won't be _too _big, - Mirage declared. – Wheeljack, will you handle Thundercracker? –

Wheeljack put his magnetic disruptor into good use and threw the blue Seeker off balance. – Does this answer your question? –

- Perfectly. – Seeing his chance, Mirage hurried through another tunnel and disappeared out of sight.

Meanwhile, the two Sadjens didn't pay any attention to what was going on around them. Their exoskeletons crackled violently as they leapt and tackled each other. Their swatting claws barely missed each other's eyes, and their bared fangs tried to find an opening to the other's defence. So fierce was their fight that neither the Autobots nor the Decepticons would be able to tell the Sadjens apart even if they tried. Both aliens were equally matched.

Just when there didn't seem to be a way out of this predicament, everyone felt the ground shaking beneath them.

"Hey! I'm not doing that!" Rumble said in surprise.

"But someone or something is!" Blitzwing replied, one of the rocks barely missing him.

"Well, I'm not sticking around to find out!" Ramjet declared, heading for the exit as fast as his feet could carry him. Dirge and Thrust were the next ones to leave and, finally, all the Decepticons were retreating.

"Come back, you fools!" Megatron shouted at his subordinates. "The battle isn't over!"

"I'd say it is," Optimus said, aiming at Megatron with his rifle. "Get out of here, Megatron, if you want to live another day."

The Decepticon leader took a few steps back, picking up his fusion cannon. It was obvious he couldn't win at those odds, so he glared at Optimus, clenching his hands into fists.

"Enjoy your victory while it lasts, Prime. For know this… vengeance will be mine!"

Then he was gone, not wishing to be caught in the cave-in. Optimus lowered his rifle in relief and turned around, just in time to see Mirage joining the group.

"Good work, Mirage. But now we must hurry. Those rocks will keep falling even after the earthquake subsides. Hound, Perceptor, help Ratchet to carry Jazz out of here. The rest of us will be right behind you."

Everyone nodded their understanding, so Optimus gave his final order.

"Autobots, move out!"

But, just as they all started evacuating the tunnels, Bumblebee stopped in his tracks, worry reflected in his optics.

"Where's Faera?"

Realising that the Sadjen wasn't following them, the Autobot leader and the minibot backtracked at once, hoping to locate her before it was too late. They finally found her a little farther away and back to her humanoid form, her gaze locked on Ebon. The male Sadjen, on the other hand, was still in his battle raiment, a huge pile of rocks pinning him down. He couldn't free himself no matter how hard he tried; but he kept roaring at her nonetheless, his yellow eyes regarding Faera with nothing less than hatred.

"Faera!" Bumblebee cried.

She didn't acknowledge him. She addressed Ebon, speaking to him softly in their language and an expression of defeat on her features.

Bumblebee hurried at her side. "What are you doing?! We gotta run!" he said, struggling to be heard above the rumbling noise of the falling rocks.

She lowered her gaze. "Just go ahead. I have to stay here and make sure Ebon doesn't come out."

Bumblebee gasped, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Are you crazy?! You'll be crushed along with him!"

"That's fine by me," she said. "If I had killed Ebon when I had the chance, none of this would have happened. It's time I finished what I should have ended a long time ago."

"None of that gives you an excuse to bury yourself here," Optimus said at that moment, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It's a fitting end!" she replied. "It was my shameful act of selfishness that brought us to this point; it makes sense I should remain here with him." She turned around to look at the two Autobots. "I appreciate your concern, but why do you think I wanted to lead you guys back to the surface in the first place?"

Bumblebee's optics widened in realisation.

"You meant to fight him all along! You just wanted to do it without distractions!"

She didn't speak; she simply nodded with a sigh.

"I understand," Optimus said. However, his grip on her shoulder tightened. "Nevertheless… I beg to differ."

Suddenly, the Autobot leader grabbed her by her waist, lifting her from the ground as though she weighed nothing.

"What the--? Put me down!" she exclaimed.

Optimus did no such thing, though. "You'd better stop squirming, Faera, for I have no intention of letting you go."

"I SAID PUT ME DOWN!" she roared, her hands reaching for the mech's chest. Optimus braced himself, instinctively aware that she planned to use her energy on him.

Nothing happened.

"I could kill you," she hissed, glaring at him.

"I still wouldn't let you go," Optimus replied steadfastly.

"Please, Faera," Bumblebee said softly. "Don't do this."

She looked at both of them, her eyes reflecting the mental struggle within her. Her gaze drifted to Ebon, but he tried to lash out at her, his claws swatting air.

It was enough. She sighed in a resigned manner.

"Very well. I'll follow."

Optimus indulged her, even though a part of him was worried that she might go back on her word. It certainly seemed like that for a moment before Bumblebee grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her along with him.

In a matter of moments, all three of them were out in the sunlight.

**To Be Concluded...**


	16. Worthy Of Existence

Skyfire's engines were on full throttle, but Optimus didn't pay attention to it. He was sitting by a window, away from the other Autobots and lost in thought.

He had to admit that their adventure in Greece had ended well. They hadn't only solved the mystery of those orbs, but they had also defeated the Decepticons once more. All the members of the team suffered injuries, of course; but Ratchet had already patched them up. Now all everyone needed was some rest.

Still, Optimus couldn't help but feel uneasy, and his uneasiness had to do with their new acquaintance. So, getting up from his seat, he headed towards a smaller room. He exchanged a brief glance with Bumblebee as he passed by him, and the minibot nodded in understanding before resuming his talk with Spike and Sparkplug. Both Autobots couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive as to Faera's well-being, because she had been awfully quiet ever since they boarded Skyfire.

With that in mind, Optimus stepped inside the room. She was sitting cross-legged at the other side of it, her arms resting on her knees and her eyes closed. As soon as she saw Optimus, however, she stood up and greeted him courteously.

"There is no need for such formality," the Autobot leader said, waving his hand dismissively. "Are you feeling comfortable?"

She nodded, and yet Optimus could tell there was something troubling her.

"Are you sure?" he insisted.

"Yes," she replied. "I just…" She paused, clearly trying to find the right words in order to speak her mind. "I just don't understand why you were so persistent in getting me out of the cave."

_Ah… so that's the problem._

"You accused yourself of weakness because you didn't kill Ebon. I say you only showed him mercy. You think of yourself selfish, yet you helped Bumblebee when he was hurt. And though you could have used your energy to kill me, you did no such thing," he answered, and he placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're more worthy of your existence than you realise."

She looked at him in surprise; it was obvious that she hadn't expected that. But then more darks thoughts crossed her mind, and she shook her head.

"He'll come back, you know. He always does. You should leave me somewhere in Africa and let him face me there."

"It won't solve anything," Optimus argued.

"It's my fight, not yours," she pointed out.

"I'm afraid not anymore. Not if Megatron can have a say in it."

That was a piece of news she didn't like at all. "What do you mean? Megatron will help him?"

"I bet he will," Optimus answered. "And I know at what price."

Faera practically flinched in horror as she understood what the Autobot leader was implying.

"His services! He'll make Ebon a slave to his will!"

"And then use him against the Autobots," Optimus completed.

She hissed something under her breath and started pacing up and down the room agitatedly. Optimus watched her in silence, waiting patiently to see what her decision would be.

He didn't have to wait long.

"The way things turned out, it's clear that there's one option left in me." She stood before him proudly, as it was fit for a soldier. "Optimus Prime, are you willing to place an outsider within the ranks of the Autobots?"

"You've earned my trust and I'm willing to accept you," he answered. "If there's anyone who knows how to deal with Ebon, it's you."

A wan smile appeared on her lips, only to vanish just as quickly as it had appeared. "Good. I thank you."

"However, I'll need you to tell me the wholestory this time."

"The whole--?" She visibly winced. "Was it that obvious?"

"Words can hide the truth, but the eyes never," Optimus replied simply.

Accepting his answer gracefully, she nodded and sat on a chair nearby. "Then I'll tell you."

And with that, she started talking, telling her story complete this time.

---------------------

He tried to dislodge himself from the pile of rocks he was buried underneath, but it was of no use. The rocks were too heavy, and his predicament would only get worse if he tried to transform. So he remained in darkness, alone, unable to move and consumed by hatred.

He cursed her. Cursed her for those detestable words she spoke to him before she fled like a coward instead of facing him like the true Sadjen she claimed to be. Cursed her for the look of pity she cast him before she left to join the Autobots. And, above all else, cursed her for the indignity and humiliation he now suffered.

He would find a way to make her pay for it. He swore it on Aeknar himself.

Suddenly, as if his prayers had reached the god's ears, he heard footsteps coming his way. He lifted his gaze, only to growl his dismay when he saw who it was.

"I thought I might find you alive," Megatron said, looking at the half-buried Sadjen almost contemptuously. "Your species is truly indestructible."

Ebon didn't attempt to reply. He looked away, indicating that he had no wish to speak with the Decepticon leader.

"Oh, I think we have plenty to talk about," Megatron said, stepping closer quite boldly. "You want your precious revenge, but you can't do that while in such a… tight… situation."

Ebon remained silent.

"I can get you out. You know that," the Decepticon leader continued. "But this time, I want more than your mere cooperation. Pledge your undying allegiance to me, and you'll get the chance you've been waiting. What do you say, Sadjen?"

The first thing that Ebon felt at that proposition was revulsion. Sadjens never bowed to anyone, for that meant they renounced their freedom, their strongest quality. And, for a moment, Ebon was tempted to transform and tell Megatron to go to the nearest junkyard and jump in it.

Instead, he let his head fall down in defeat, a soft rumbling sound emanating from his throat. A sound of submission.

Megatron smiled in triumph, his red optics flashing brilliantly.

**The End... for now.**

_A/n: Yeah, there's a sequel to this story, which I will start setting up soon. Thanks to everyone who's read the story from the beginning to the end, I hope you enjoyed it. And special thanks go to Flamingmarsh, Tomorrow4eva, Northwest Sage, Meirelle and Spartan B217 for reviewing this story, their comments and thoughts kept me going. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy the sequel just as much. :)_

_Till Next Time!_

_Beregond5  
_


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